


Anything But Ordinary

by Hellbrat (Ringred19)



Series: Anything But Ordinary [1]
Category: Arrow (TV 2012), Buffy the Vampire Slayer, olicity - Fandom
Genre: Action, Alternate Universe - Supernatural Elements, Alternate Universe - Supernatural Hunters, Alternate Universe - Vampire, Arrow-centric xover, Comedy, Crossover, Don't expect Buffy to show up, Drama, F/M, Felicity Smoak-centric, Light Angst, Post-Season/Series 02 AU, Romantic Comedy, Slow Burn, Supernatural Elements, Vampire Slayer(s), olicity - Freeform
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2017-06-12
Updated: 2017-09-25
Packaged: 2018-11-13 02:06:13
Rating: Mature
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 31
Words: 77,918
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/11174760
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Ringred19/pseuds/Hellbrat
Summary: It started with a busted alarm clock and escalated quickly from there. Felicity Smoak had no intention of letting her stupid deficient gene derail her life. She would handle this situation somehow. Sure, she now had a day job, a night job, and after hours training sessions with mysterious strangers, but she could handle it...really. She was good at keeping secrets.





	1. Prologue

**Author's Note:**

> Hey guys! Just something that's been preying on my mind and I thought I'd give it a try. Hope you like it! I always run my work through my sister but no beta other than that...so please be kind. Feedback is welcome, but please no flames. Yes, the title is from that dopey pop song, by that dopey pop artist, but...I can't help it! I actually still love that song. It brings back good memories and it fits my story. This IS a crossover, but it's also very much an Arrow story. The story is in Starling and about the characters on Arrow. Don't expect the Scooby gang to be showing up.
> 
> Thanks again!
> 
> ==========
> 
> Disclaimer: I own NOTHING!

==========

It started out small...relatively. She broke her alarm clock. Okay, so it was annoying and she'd have to buy a new one and the clock wasn't small and she didn't exactly understand HOW she'd broken it without even knocking it off her nightstand...but still...cheap old alarm clock. It wasn't anything to write home about and in the scheme of things it didn't even interrupt her day. She made a note to buy a new one before reporting to the lair that night and didn't really think about it anymore.

Next came the glasses. The day after the alarm clock massacre, she woke up feeling great and reached for her glasses sitting beside her brand new alarm clock. She slid them on and froze confused as everything went...kinda blurry. She'd had her yearly eye appointment the month before. There was no way her vision had gotten worse that quickly. She started to panic. Something was wrong...very very wrong. If her vision was degenerating...

Reaching up, Felicity jerked off her glasses and stared at them for any imperfections. Maybe she'd dropped them and forgotten...or...or...it took longer than she'd later like to admit before she realized that now without the glasses her vision was perfectly clear. She gasped and looked around wildly. Nothing blurry...nothing out of focus...in fact, she caught herself reading the small writing on her college diploma...from all the way across the frickin room! 

This would be a miracle for most people, right? Her vision corrected itself. This was a good...good...great and fabulous thing! Except when added to her busted alarm clock...

Still breathing heavily, Felicity scrambled beside her bed and pulled out the aluminum bat she kept there for protection. It was a compromise with Oliver and Digg. They wanted her to own a gun. She knew she was more likely to shoot herself than some random assailant. So...aluminum bat...which technically she'd killed a lamp with once after a nightmare...but what the boys didn't know couldn't hurt them or humiliate her. The bat felt solid in her hands, but...markedly lighter than she remembered it being the last time she'd held it. Felicity gulped. This could not be happening. This just...

Forcing herself to take another deep breath, Felicity put one hand on the leather grip and the other on the thick metal end. She felt ridiculous. She KNEW she was being ridiculous, but she pushed down and tried to bring her hands together. It wasn't going to work, nothing was going to happen...but Felicity whimpered out loud as she felt and saw the bat start to bend and warp beneath her hands.

“SHIT!” Throwing the bat away from her and ignoring the loud bang as it hit the wall, the blonde ran for her bathroom. She leaned against the counter and stared into her own frantic eyes. “Why? Why is this happening now? WHY NOW?”

The shrill sound of one of her personal ringtones filled the air. Digg was calling her. He'd been checking in every morning since the whole Slade thing went down. She appreciated that he cared, but the last thing she wanted to do this morning was chat. However if she didn't answer, she knew he'd come charging in to save the day...and she'd be lucky if he didn't bring along Oliver in full Arrow-gear.

Trying to control her breathing and sound normal, Felicity hurried to her phone and accepted the call. “Hello?”

“Hey, everything okay?”

“Yep,” Felicity answered quickly, maybe too quickly, “just a crazy morning. I woke up late and I'm trying to get dressed and I had this issue with my glasses. You know, just one of those days. Slept on the wrong side of the bed or something, I guess. I'll be fine. I just need some time, and some coffee, and some breakfast...” she paused and muttered, “maybe a couple gallons of mint chip and lots of wine...”

“Felicity, what's going on?” Digg sounded concerned.

“Nothing!” Felicity said. “I'm fine, I promise. Nothing strange going on at the Smoak residence. I'm just having a rough morning. I just need to...”

“Breathe,” Digg finished for her. “You need to breathe and slow down...and maybe skip the coffee.” He paused. “I'm coming around to pick you up and drive you to work. I'll see you in an hour.”

“NO!” Felicity's eyes widened. “No, Digg, you don't have to do that! I can drive! I'm...”

“I'll see you in an hour, Smoak,” Digg's tone made it clear he wasn't taking no for an answer.

Felicity sighed, “Alrighty then. See you in an hour.” She ended the call and groaned out loud. She needed to...she had to get dressed and ready and...she had to put her mental breakdown on the back burner before Digg got here and read her like a really short children's book. The mental breakdown was going to have to wait.

============ 

It all started when she was eleven. That's when they found her. Apparently some super powerful witch did a spell and it was suppose to drastically alter Felicity's life for the rest of...well forever. The only thing was...it didn't. They couldn't explain it. They knew there was a gene, they used words like mystical and prophetic but even at eleven she preferred the scientific version, and Felicity carried said gene. The gene marked Felicity as what was known as a potential...a potential vampire slayer. The whole idea was insane and Felicity fought it every step of the way. She didn't want to believe in the boogie man. She had no desire to chase around after what goes bump in the night.

It didn't help matters that her mother spent the whole time crying and yelling hysterically that no one was taking away her daughter. They tried to explain her life was in danger. They were afraid she would be targeted because of what she was, but Felicity just argued back that if demons did exist and if they were going to target someone, she doubted they'd hunt down the nerd with the defective gene who had no power before they went after the army of super-powered warriors set on exterminating them.

Round and round the arguments went, but eventually they seemed to accept they couldn't force her to come with them without her and her mother putting up a massive stink. They gave her contact numbers in case anything happened or she started exhibiting power late, and they told her they planned to station a team of slayers and a watcher in Vegas if she changed her mind. Felicity thanked them and ushered them out the door. 

Felicity spent the next two days calming down her mother and reassuring her she wasn't going anywhere. Once Donna Smoak was finally stable enough to return to her life and work, Felicity retreated to her room and started looking up anything and everything she could find on the supernatural, demons, slayers and their watchers. She didn't fully believe, mostly because she didn't want to, but she was damn sure going to be prepared in case she wasn't given a choice in the matter.

The power never came. Life returned to normal and if sometimes at night the hairs on the back of her neck stood on end, if she thought she caught something out of the corner of her eye, if she thought she felt something deep in her gut, Felicity certainly never told anyone about it...especially not her mother. She continued to search though, she continued to watch and read and learn, and she locked all that information inside a folder in her brain in case she needed it someday. She didn't let herself dwell on it, but she never never forgot.

And her gut, well...she'd learned to trust it. It had gotten her out of trouble far too many times for Felicity to entirely discount. It had also told her to take a leap of faith on a damaged former playboy with a fake smile, an awful lie, and a bullet-ridden laptop.

========== 

A knock sounded from the door and Felicity shook herself...one hour on the dot. She finished the last draw of her coffee (cause he couldn't have seriously meant for her to skip the coffee...Digg knew her) and placed the mug in her sink to wash that night. She had to act normal. Felicity figured that would work out well...she wasn't normal on a good day. Grabbing her purse and her coat, hey the office got really cold even during the summer so don't judge her, she opened the door and smiled really wide at her surrogate big brother.

Digg cocked a brow and tilted his head to the side. “You okay?”

“Yep!” Felicity chirped. “I'm great! Just a rough morning...like I told you on the phone an hour ago. You didn't have to come check on me...or drive me in.” She pursed her lips and tried to look reproving. “I can drive myself.”

He snorted. “You didn't skip the coffee, huh?”

Felicity frowned. “Do you want me to kill someone today? I work in IT with a bunch of incompetent idiots who think I spent most of last year screwing my boss for the cushy job of CEO's secretary.”

Digg rolled his eyes. “Trying to keep Oliver in line is not a cushy job. We both know who was actually running the company.”

“Preach,” Felicity nodded, “but not relevant at the moment and if we don't leave now I'm going to be late.” She pushed past Digg and turned to close and lock her door. That had everything to do with worrying about her punctuality at the job she was seriously overqualified for at this point...and nothing at all to do with the bat sized hole she'd left in the drywall of her bedroom...really.

Digg sighed and laid a comforting hand on her shoulder. “It's going to get better, Felicity. Walter seems confident Oliver can get back the company, right?”

“Right,” Felicity agreed. And she understood why Digg seemed concerned. This had been an issue...like yesterday. She'd spent the last month working her ass off to help Oliver reclaim his family's legacy. It had consumed her daytime hours...well that and the busy work she was provided as a lowly gremlin back in the IT department where she'd been demoted. Not that she minded being back in IT exactly, but they'd stuck her back on the lowest rung of the totem pole and shuffled her all their grunt work. She was literally cleaning off spyware and resetting passwords all day long. They also treated her like she had a scarlet letter on her chest. The boys club smelled blood in the water and thought she'd gotten exactly what she deserved.

Digg shook his head as if he could read her thoughts and turned to lead the way to the car. Felicity fell into step behind him. He opened the door for her and she smiled up at him. She loved her Digg.

He smiled back but then frowned confused. “Contacts today?” Felicity's eyes widened but before she could answer he notched his chin and continued. “Oh, problem with your glasses. Forgot that part of the morning babble.”

Felicity sagged in relief and climbed into the car. “Yep, problem with my glasses.” She wondered how long she could convince them she really loved her contacts now. Or...maybe she could buy some clear lenses and wear them...it worked for Clark Kent. Groaning to herself, Felicity banged her head back on the car seat behind her. When did she become Clark Kent?

==========


	2. Chapter One

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Thanks for the comments! I really appreciate the feedback!
> 
> Also I feel the need to point out that this story is completely AU from the end of S7 Buffy and end of S2 of Arrow. I know I'm changing all kinds of things from how they actually happened in S3 of Arrow, but then I wasn't too crazy about most of S3 anyway. I've read so many great fics where I liked how the writers handled the setup for S3 better than the actual show. So I'm taking a page from that book and completely deleting everything after the end of S2 and playing with things my own way. Hope that doesn't bother anyone. I totally respect the real show and I'm happy where its currently at...I just don't want to write about that point. I don't want to deal with all the later baggage and I want to work from a point where Oliver and Felicity haven't been together yet.
> 
> I also say this because I'm playing around with the Buffyverse as well. As I've said...this is SO an Arrow fic, but I'm going to use Buffy elements and maybe even some characters to tell my story. I didn't read the comics and what I've heard about them didn't thrill me. I took where S7 Buffy left off and this is kind of my head canon for what could have happened with all those awakened slayers and new watchers. I'm also going to be bringing in some original elements that I hope don't throw anyone off. If it gets confusing or too out there feel free to let me know...in a non-flamey way preferably. I'm going to try to explain things as they come but there will be some mystery in there. Felicity isn't going to figure everything out right away.
> 
> I hope you guys still give the fic a chance and that my big note doesn't scare you off. Thanks again!
> 
> Oh and my disclaimer: I own NOTHING...except Cross...she's mine.

==========

Safely tucked into her cubicle in hell, running a spyware removal program on one exec's PC remotely and doing a system restore on another, Felicity finally worked up her nerve and pulled the burner phone out of her purse. She always kept one just in case and this definitely qualified for a just in case. She held her breath and dialed the number.

“CSW, how may I help you?” a perky female voice answered.

“Eep!” Felicity jumped at the sound that escaped her mouth. Then she ground her teeth irritated at herself. She needed to calm the hell down and act normal! Why couldn't she ever just act normal?

“Hello?”

Felicity took a deep breath and blew it out. “Hello, I'm sorry to bother you, but I'm trying to get some information about...well...slayers actually. I need some information about the current slayer population.”

“What kind of information?” the voice asked cautiously.

“Well...” Felicity began, “they haven't all...kinda died, have they? They aren't like running exceedingly low on numbers?” She winced because that didn't sound any better out loud than it had inside her head. But it was the only explanation she could think of. If there were still hundreds or thousands of slayers running around combating the forces of evil every night then why would her deficient gene pick NOW, when she was way too old and way too set in her ways, to activate? 

From the information Felicity had gathered years before, slayers were primarily activated in their early to mid-teens before the infamous spell was cast in 2003. That spell activated every known potential slayer of the time...save one...Felicity. The only explanation she could come up with to change the status quo was there were no other slayers...or younger more feasible potentials to call. She really sincerely hoped she was wrong...cause that one girl in all the world thing? That was not Felicity Smoak. No fracking way!

“Hold please,” the voice said and Felicity was treated to several minutes of elevator music as she chewed her nail. When the phone clicked again the voice through the line was decidedly less cheery. “Who are you and why are you asking about slayers?”

Felicity winced. “Who I am is SO not important right now...or you know...ever. I'm not a threat or a...an anything actually. I'm not an anything. I just need to know that something didn't kill all the slayers and potentials, okay? Can you tell me that?” She realized she was waving her hand around wildly in the air. She forced it into a fist and rested it on her knee.

“Yea, that would be a no,” the voice said, “considering I am one.”

“OH THANK GOD!” Felicity gasped. 

“And again who are you? And why would you even think that?” She could hear amusement now in the woman's tone.

Felicity made a face, “I...don't really think I want to answer that.”

“You answer or we show up,” she drawled, “those are your options.”

Felicity snorted. “Sorry to break it to you, but you're never gonna trace this call.”

“Sorry to break it to you,” the woman said, “but we have a department full of witches and I'll have your location in under ten minutes.”

Felicity groaned and banged her head down on her desk. “Can't we just let this go away? Pretty please?”

“Nope,” the woman chirped, “name?”

“Felicity Smoak,” she kept her head on the desk.

“One minute,” Felicity could hear typing in the background and vaguely felt better about the world to know that apparently these slayers weren't completely technologically deficient. She knew most of the watchers kept journals and historically those journals were in written form and passed down from generation to generation, but if they had begun taking advantage of the digital age the information would be less likely to be lost in all forms. Even a fire could destroy centuries of work and...

“Felicity Smoak, located in Vegas at eleven, inactive...something of a mystery,” the woman mused. “You're twenty-three, right? Starling City?”

This was bad...so so bad. “Yes,” she whispered.

“So what happened, Felicity? And don't try to bullshit me.”

Felicity picked up a pen and held it between two fingers and her thumb. Barely applying any pressure the pen snapped in half. She quickly threw away the pieces before ink could get everywhere. “Not so inactive anymore,” she finally answered.

She heard the woman take in a long breath. “Okay...so still something of a mystery then. Twenty-three is...”

“Way too old to be starting this crap!” Felicity said. 

“It's...different,” the woman agreed.

“Don't suppose you keep a deactivation potion lying around or anything?”

“If you got called now there has to be a reason,” the woman said, “trying to make it go away isn't a solution. You can't run from destiny...trust me on this.”

Felicity saw red. “What possible reason...”

“I don't know,” the woman interrupted her, “but you're going to have to figure it out. We will help if you'll let us.”

Felicity rested her head in her hands and tried to calm down. “What do you want me to do?”

“There's a new club in town,” the woman said, “named The Bronze. Ask for Dare.” She paused. “And you can call me back if you ever need to talk. Same number just ask for Rona.”

“Thank you, Rona,” Felicity said grudgingly.

“That's what sisters are for.”

========== 

It took a lot of babbling but Felicity finally convinced Digg to drop her off back home so she would meet them later at the lair. He knew something was up, the man just knew her way too well by now, but he trusted her and he would wait until she was ready to share. It was one of the things she appreciated most about Digg. Oliver wasn't nearly as...understanding. He caught even a whiff something was going down and he'd be camped out in her apartment or dragging her around everywhere short of the bathroom. 

She parked and made her way toward the front door to the club. She was wearing a pink polka-dot top and a pencil skirt. To say she wasn't wearing club-wear was an understatement. But then Felicity didn't really do clubs...unless it was Verdant. She felt like a traitor for even stepping inside the place. She'd heard Thea whining about the competition. Felicity eased her guilt by promising herself she wouldn't so much as buy a soda. This was business...strictly business...which technically so was Verdant, but only a select few knew that. Felicity Smoak was loyal and her loyalty was to Verdant.

There was a bouncer standing at the door even at this hour. Felicity froze. Crap, that hadn't even occurred to her. She probably didn't meet the 'hot-slutty-chick' quota to even get in! There wasn't a line yet so she tried to look confident and strutted up to the bouncer. She thought he bit back a laugh...dammit. “I need to speak to Dare.”

Grinning at her widely, he opened the door and waved her through. “Have a nice evening, ma'am.”

Not knowing how to take that, Felicity decided to ignore it and walked through the door. She looked around the club with wide eyes. “Whoa...” It was certainly different. The club had a dark and sultry feel. The music in the air was low, alternative, euro...but she had to admit she liked it. It felt...right somehow. This was a club that she might actually frequent. Felicity winced...she was SO never telling Thea that. Still, she couldn't imagine the same crowd from Verdant swapping to this place. She was pretty sure Verdant's clientele was safe.

Spotting the bar, Felicity walked over and waited to grab the attention of the woman behind it...an exotic brunette with dark tan skin and eyes. She was wearing a black t-shirt with the club logo on the front and a pair of jean shorts. This was definitely no Verdant. Felicity's stomach twisted as she studied the woman. There was...something about her...but Felicity knew she could trust her. The blonde groaned and banged her head down on the bar. “Stupid crazy deficient gene...”

“I think you could use this,” an amused voice had Felicity jerking her head back up. She met the smiling eyes of the bartender. Then she looked down at the glass of alcohol sitting in front of her on the bar. Felicity jerked her head from side to side. “Oh no...no no no...I can't add betrayal on top of everything else going on right now. I promised myself...not even a soda. Thea would know! She's got those Queen eyes. She will look at me with those Queen eyes and I will fold like a house of cards.” 

Felicity realized she was waving dramatically with her hands and the woman was looking more and more amused. “A free drink isn't going to push my profits over the top of Verdant's. You're in the clear.”

Felicity's jaw dropped. “How...”

“Thea Queen,” she explained, “owner of Verdant, right?”

“Right,” Felicity agreed. Then she cocked her head to the side. “Your profits?”

The woman held out her hand for Felicity to shake. “Cross Garza, owner of The Bronze, how can I help you, Sweetie?”

The endearment threw her for a loop but Felicity felt a surge of warmth in her gut. She stared at the woman in wonder. Why did she already trust her? Felicity took her hand. “I'm supposed to ask for Dare?”

The woman nodded. “You're the late bloomer. Felicity Smoak, right?”

Felicity's eyes widened. “Are you a slay...”

“No,” she shook her head, “that's not what you're feeling. You'll learn to tell the difference.” Cross tapped the glass. “Drink up. I'll grab Dare.” She turned and walked away.

“What are you then?” Felicity couldn't help but ask.

The brunette looked back over her shoulder and laughed. “I'm something different.” She winked at Felicity and kept walking.

==========


	3. Chapter Two

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Hey guys! Thanks so much for your feedback! I really appreciate it and it keeps me writing. My muse is still happily cooperating so I was able to fix up another chapter. They might slow down some now though because I'm starting back for another seven day work week. RL can be a pain sometimes.
> 
> This chapter is, once again, kinda dealing with Felicity's new situation but I promise that the next chapter lands her back with the team and our favorite Arrow boys. I'm introducing another original character, but he should be the last one for a while. I needed a way for Felicity to get information and training while doing her best to hide it from the guys. She's gonna be rocking a double life for a while. My originals are also gonna be kinda mysterious, but all will be revealed eventually...and that's half the fun. If anything gets too confusing please let me know.
> 
> I hope you enjoy the new chapter! Thanks again!
> 
> Disclaimer: I own NOTHING...except Cross AND Dare...

==========

Felicity had finished the vodka and about let her nerves talk her into ordering another by the time the woman named Cross returned with a man following her. The man was...“Whoa...do you people come in anything but hot?” Cross laughed, the man smirked and Felicity felt her face heat and knew she was blushing. “I didn't mean to say that out loud...obviously,” she babbled, and once she started to babble, “but I mean come on! You're still hot even by the standards of what I hang out with on a regular basis and I am surrounded by the hotness! Digg has the arms, and Roy has brows and the jaw, and Oliver has the EVERYTHING!” She tilted her head slightly to the side. “I mean, you're not as hot as Oliver, but PLEASE! No one is as hot as Oliver. Oliver is so hot it's almost offensive. That man is...”

The man cleared his throat and Felicity forced her mouth closed. He looked amused to the brunette. “How much did you give her to drink?”

Cross laughed again, “I don't think that's alcohol induced.”

Felicity groaned and thumped her head on the bar again. “It's totally not.”

The man cleared his throat again and she looked up to see he was leaning against the bar across from her. He was tall, at least six foot, and built more muscular than lithe. He was smaller than both Oliver and Digg, but Felicity had a feeling that was just semantics. The way he moved, the confidence in his eyes, this man was capable and dangerous. He had sandy blonde hair and deep green eyes, but what she realized...what settled her down a little was... “your eyes are kind.” His answering smile was devastating. “I hope so.”

Felicity flushed again. She sat back and crossed her arms over her chest. “I'm sorry. Are you Dare?”

He nodded. “Daniel McKinney, technically, but yes I'm known as Dare.”

Felicity blew out a deep breath. She looked between Dare and the woman. Something clicked inside her and she knew. “You're like her, aren't you?” She nodded toward Cross.

They both smiled but Dare nodded. “Good, you're picking it up quickly.”

“And you're not going to tell me what you, are you?” Felicity realized.

“Not yet,” Dare answered. “It's not important right now. What is important is that you can trust us.” His eyes were intense. “You can feel it. It's the slayer inside you. It recognizes us as allies.”

Felicity whimpered. “Great Godric, this is really happening, isn't it?”

Cross snorted. “Welcome to the World of Weird.” She reached across to squeeze Felicity's shoulder in comfort. “I'm gonna leave you two to talk but I'll be around.” She walked away.

“So, why am I here?” Felicity asked after Cross disappeared around the corner. Dare raised a brow. “You know what I mean. Why did they send me to you?”

Dare shrugged. “They sent you to me because there are no watchers in Starling.” He pulled a clean glass out from under the bar and poured them both a drink. “There are no watchers because there haven't been any slayers.”

“Until now,” Felicity said.

“Until now,” Dare agreed. He lifted his glass and took a drink before speaking again. “Starling has always been something of a mystical dead zone. There was never any need for slayers or watchers here. But something is changing. Which is why WE,” he motioned around him, “are here.”

Felicity tried to piece it together. “You opened the club here...”

“Cross opened one of her clubs here,” Dare continued, “because we know things are happening in Starling. It started with the Undertaking.”

“That wasn't mystical,” Felicity argued.

Dare shrugged and she got distracted by the play of muscles under his tight gray shirt. He really was pretty. Hearing him snicker Felicity flushed again and forced her eyes back to his. He tactfully ignored her slip. “Our organization doesn't only deal in mystical. But there are signs things are heating up in that area as well.”

“Your organization,” Felicity wondered, “you mean the Slayer's Council?”

“Council of Slayers and Watchers technically, but no,” Dare shook his head, “we don't work for the slayers. We do work with them a good bit though.”

“And the organization you do work for?”

“Is not relevant at the moment.”

Felicity rolled her eyes. He knew not to whom he spoke. Her fingers were going to do some walking later tonight and she WOULD find out who he worked for. Still she smiled sweetly at him. “So what is relevant?”

Dare smirked and Felicity thought she was going to have to get use to that expression. “What is relevant is getting you trained. You won't be able to fully control your strength or abilities until you're properly trained.” He leaned forward toward her and his eyes turned serious. “You're late to the game and you have to be prepared to protect yourself when the need arises.” He lifted his brows. “I don't say if because you ARE a slayer now and the need WILL arise. Trouble is going to start finding you whether you look for it or not.”

Felicity gaped at him. “I don't need a gene for that. I've managed it just fine for about two years all on my own.”

Dare reached out and took her hand. It tingled and another wave of warmth flowed through her. “You're going to be okay, Felicity. You're not alone.”

He seemed like a really nice man...or...whatever he was, and Felicity had no doubt that he meant exactly what he said. But he had no idea...just no idea! She gulped and tried not to spaz completely out in front of this near stranger. “So...exactly when and how often is this training going to be?” Maybe destiny would be kind and she could treat it like a trip to the gym. Maybe she could even tell the guys she was joining a gym. They'd think it was ridiculous, they'd offer to train her again...but...

“Every day,” Dare said firmly. “As for how long? I'm not sure. We'll start out with two to three hours and go from there.”

“I have a job!” Felicity blurted out. “In fact, I have two jobs. And my night job is even more important than my day job. The day job just pays better. I don't have two to three hours to train every day!”

Dare shrugged unconcerned. “We'll make it work. What are your hours?”

Grinding her teeth, Felicity glared at him. “Day job ends at five. Night job starts at seven and ends at or after midnight.”

“So you'll report here after your night job,” Dare said. “We'll shoot for one?”

He could not be serious! “What about sleep?”

“Slayers need very little sleep,” Dare explained. “Three to four hours and you're good to go.”

Felicity felt even more betrayed. “But I like sleep!”

“You have to train,” Dare said. He looked down at his watch and back to her. “Now I know you need to be at your job soon, so we'll save the rest of the talk for later, but this isn't something you can ignore Felicity. It isn't something that's going away.” Squeezing her fingers in what she was sure he thought was a reassuring manner, he let her go. “I'll expect you at one.”

“Great! Sure...” Felicity pushed away from the bar leaving the untouched second drink behind her, “cause my life wasn't complicated enough already. Let's add monsters!”

==========


	4. Chapter Three

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> First of all...thank you to everyone who commented! I really appreciate it! I love knowing that you enjoyed the chapter and even better what parts you enjoyed. You guys are awesome!
> 
> Now...I want to point out that I am not a Laurel-hater...HOWEVER...she was never my favorite character on the show. I just feel like the writers never really knew what to do with Laurel. They wanted to make her into a strong female character, but she just...didn't come across that way to me. She started out boring and annoying before she knew the secret and...yea she was still kinda boring and annoying after she knew the secret. Most of the time watching Laurel in scenes with Oliver was like nails down a chalkboard to me. I actually didn't mind her or even liked her in scenes with just about anyone else but Oliver. But when she was kinda moony over Oliver my inner female was just screaming "HE CHEATED ON YOU MULTIPLE TIMES AND WITH YOUR SISTER!" really really loudly. It hurt my SOUL! 
> 
> SO...while I am not a Laurel-hater, I am also not a Laurel fan. I will not be making Laurel the bad guy in this fic...because she wasn't one...but she is going to come across as annoying...cause to me at least she was. Just because her character died later in the show does not change the fact that she was annoying...to me at least. I could make her into my version of Laurel and make her strong and badass...but then I'd be making her ooc because she would not be an Oliver fan. She would not be cherishing their long and beautiful friendship. She'd tolerate him...but know that he CHEATED HER ON MULTIPLE TIMES AND WITH HER SISTER.
> 
> Okay, I wanted to get that off my chest before any major Laurel fans got offended by my interpretation of her. I don't hate her. She's not the bad guy. I'm not just an Olicity fan who hates her because she's a threat to my ship. I'm a female who is deeply offended by any woman forgiving and wanting to get back with a man who treated her like Oliver treated Laurel before and AFTER the island. Also, I use her for comedic relief and some angst for Felicity...cause I like adding a little angst in there.
> 
> I hope you enjoy the new chapter! I had a BLAST writing it. Please let me know what you think. You guys rock! Thanks again!
> 
> Disclaimer: I own NOTHING...except Cross and Dare.

========== 

Felicity was the last one into the lair that night and even worse she was behind Gorgeous Laurel. The lawyer, now wannabe vigilante, was spending more and more of her nights hitting the mats with Oliver and Digg. Oliver had resisted at first but Laurel had been smart enough to hit up Digg for increased workouts in self-defense. It hadn't taken long before Oliver was jumping in to correct her form or make suggestions for alternative moves better fitted to her smaller body mass. Felicity told herself there was no good reason Laurel's presence should bother her...but that didn't stop her going home most nights with headaches from grinding her teeth.

“Blondie,” Roy notched his chin in her direction as he watched her come down the steps, “you slacking off? I never beat you here.”

“Which is saying something considering you live what...ten minutes away?” Felicity smirked.

“And bunk here sometimes,” Roy agreed. He turned back to working on his bow.

“You're welcome for that,” Felicity muttered. She had been the one to update the lair again and add bunk beds this time in case anyone else needed a place to crash. She sat down her bag and slid into her chair, fingers finding their place over her keyboard as she pulled up her babies and started sorting information for tonight's targets. “I had some personal business to take care of.”

“Since when do you have personal business?” Roy wondered.

Felicity froze and threw him her best death glare. “I am a happy and healthy twenty-three year old woman with a full and active social life.”

Roy smirked and leaned against the table he was using. Felicity couldn't help but notice his eyes sparkled and those impressive brows did that thing where they talked for him. “Sure you are. Which nerd show are you binge watching right now?”

“Dexter,” she told him sweetly, “so I know how to get rid of the body.” Okay that was a lie. She was totally catching up on 'Grimm', but with everything else going down, Felicity found it was strangely fitting.

Roy laughed and shook his head. “Hell with our luck we might have to hit you up on that some time.”

Felicity huffed, “So say we all.” She turned her attention back to her babies and let Roy get back to work. Fifteen minutes later she had everything they needed on one Dennis Riley, security guru, and his contacts within the Triad. Riley was using his mobster buddies to take out his competition and drum up new business. Same song different verse really...criminals would be criminals.

“What've you got?” Oliver sounded out of breathe and Felicity looked up at him against her better judgment. He was wrestling with Laurel, the lawyer's toned and sweaty body was pressed against Oliver's front as she worked to break his hold. THIS was the problem! Felicity was so Team Sara! Everything with Oliver and Laurel looked sexual and intimate. It wasn't watching two warriors preparing for battle. It was watching foreplay. Felicity couldn't even enjoy watching her boys spar anymore. It was all gasps and heaving bosoms and...and...Felicity really just wanted to break something...preferably over the top of Oliver and Laurel's heads!

“Felicity?” Shaking herself out of her mental ramble, the blonde genius jerked her eyes away and looked at Digg instead. His sympathetic expression wasn't much better. She ground her teeth...looked like another headache was coming on. “Riley's made a move on two competitors in the last three days. Subtle this guy is not.” She frowned and looked back over her intel. “I don't know how he thinks someone isn't going to pick up on this.”

“Most people won't take on Triad,” Oliver answered. He released Laurel and climbed to his feet.

“But he has to have heard of us,” Felicity said. “We're not scared of the Triad.” At Oliver's smirk, Felicity felt her face heat and backed that sentence up. “Okay, YOU'RE not scared of the Triad. They kinda make me want to pee myself.”

“We can't let them get away with this,” Laurel growled and Felicity literally had to bite her tongue. The righteous indignation was a little much. What did she think Felicity was doing? Playing checkers?

Digg must have read something on Felicity's face because he cleared his throat and interrupted. “So we're a go?”

“Suit up,” Felicity nodded.

As Digg and Oliver walked off, Laurel headed after them and Felicity knew the other woman would be pushing to join in. She'd been pushing for weeks now. So far Oliver was holding strong but Felicity's trust in his judgment was waning. He had yet to straight out tell the woman no. N-O...it was an easy word...he certainly had no problem throwing it around at anyone else.

“Don't worry, Blondie,” Roy's voice from over her shoulder shocked Felicity, she'd completely forgotten his presence,“if this turns into an episode of 'Snapped', I got your back. You were with me the whole time.”

Felicity sighed. “Like anyone would believe the geeky IT gremlin could take out Laurel Lance. Not a jury in the land would convict me.”

Roy smiled. “But they don't know Felicity Smoak. I know you can take her.” He bumped her shoulder and headed off to suit up himself.

Felicity pursed her lips and thought about her poor old alarm clock and the hole in her bedroom wall. “You have no idea.”

========== 

The mission went off without a hitch. Dennis Riley was suitably terrified and dropped off to the SCPD with enough evidence to send him away for the rest of his scummy little life. Felicity was glad...really. Digg was headed home to his pregnant wife and Oliver and Roy decided to make the rounds looking for any random criminal activity to bust up. Felicity had comms running in the background in case they needed anything, but most of her attention was focused on the thorough search she was doing on Cross Garza, Daniel 'Dare' McKinney, and their mysterious new club 'The Bronze'. So far the search was going...not so great.

“Garza certainly won't be filing for bankruptcy anytime soon,” Felicity muttered to herself as she scanned the woman's financial records...one of the few things she'd located in the last hour of digging. Not only did the woman own an extremely successful chain of nightclubs in most major US cities, she was also apparently the only heir to a Spanish fortune. And this wasn't new money, this was aristocracy. If Felicity wasn't reading this wrong, and lets be real...she wasn't reading this wrong, Cross Garza was an actual descendant of Spanish nobility. It all got kind of hazy when Felicity tried to trace the actual bloodline, but that wasn't the point. The woman was rich...never work again and look down on the Queen's vulgar new money rich.

“Who's Garza?”

Felicity ground her teeth and took a deep breathe in through her nose as Laurel's voice sounded from right over her shoulder. Fortunately Oliver did hold out on allowing inadequately trained Laurel into the field with the team (keep fighting the dark side Obi-wan!). Unfortunately, Laurel insisted on staying in the lair to monitor the mission with Felicity in case they 'needed any help'...air-quotes intended. What help the lawyer believed she could provide escaped Felicity, but here she was...right over Felicity's shoulder...in her ZONE!

“Who's Garza?” Laurel asked again. “Is she our next target?”

OUR? Felicity jerked her hands away from her keyboard and mouse before she accidentally broke her babies. Laurel was not worth damaging her babies!

“Sorry,” the other woman apologized, “I didn't mean to scare you. I forget sometimes that you're not as aware as the guys are.”

Felicity pursed her lips and made sure to keep her expression turned away from Gorgeous Laurel. She kept telling herself that it wasn't Laurel's fault the woman jumped up and down on Felicity's last nerve. Laurel hadn't actually done anything wrong. Laurel was a good woman. She only wanted to help. She was Sara's sister and Felicity really really liked Sara. Laurel was in the know now and it made sense that they were stuck...she meant that Laurel wanted to help and become involved. If only the woman would move out of Felicity's ZONE!

“No,” Felicity tried to redirect the conversation hoping Laurel would back off, “Garza isn't our next target. She's the owner of 'The Bronze'.”

“That new club Thea's worried about?”

“Exactly,” Felicity nodded. She tried to ignore Laurel and focus back on her search. Garza did have substantial income that couldn't be explained by her clubs. If anything the clubs seemed more of a hobby, or more likely a cover...apparently Oliver wasn't the first one to come up with that idea. Their locations were telling...most located in major cities where crime or supernatural activity would probably be prevalent...but there were a few notable exceptions. “Edencrest, Alabama?” Felicity wondered. “What the hell is Edencrest, Alabama?”

“Small town, probably,” Laurel said.

Felicity took another deep breathe. She nodded. “You're probably right.”

“Do you see any criminal activity?” Laurel asked. “Does she have mob ties?”

Felicity rolled her eyes so hard she thought they might get stuck in the back of her head. She fought for patience. “No, Laurel, she's not a criminal.” At least Felicity seriously doubted it...and considering the woman was clearly supernatural they weren't going to catch her even if she was.

“But you are hacking her financial records, right?”

“Yes,” Felicity agreed. She tried to follow the money trail on a large deposit made at the beginning of the month. It had to be payroll and Felicity knew it should lead back to whatever organization she was working for. Unfortunately it looked like yet another dead end. The IT genius sighed and bit her bottom lip. She kept running into the same abbreviation...BT. 

Every lead she followed ended up at a stop sign with the letters BT painted on it. That HAD to be it, but Felicity couldn't find anything related to the abbreviation. Well, truthfully the only BT Felicity knew was Black Temple and she somehow doubted they were World of Warcraft enthusiasts. She was going to have to dig deeper and come at this from a different direction. Maybe she could hit up the supernatural resources she'd used in the past to collect data, but she didn't want to do that here. Oliver could be oblivious, but she wasn't going to bet on him being THAT oblivious. 

“That's illegal, Felicity,” Laurel pointed out.

“She says while standing inside the vigilante lair,” Felicity mocked.

Just as Laurel opened her mouth to respond, Felicity heard the electronic door open and Oliver and Roy came walking down the stairs. Laurel lifted her brows and turned to Oliver. “Did you know Felicity's been hacking the financial records of your sister's competition?”

“What?” Oliver looked confused and curious but not alarmed. Felicity wondered if Laurel realized he didn't give a damn what she hacked as long as she didn't get caught and endanger herself. Oliver trusted her judgment and he knew she'd never use her skills for the dark side. Miss Lawyer still had a few things to learn about their partnership. Felicity had no intention of sticking around to hear Laurel's plea for justice. The other woman didn't know enough to seriously tip Oliver off about what was going on. He'd actually buy that she was only looking out for Thea. And she would...if it were necessary, which it was not. 

Closing the software she'd been using for her personal research and standing up, Felicity grabbed her purse and walked toward the steps. Not bothering to hide her irritation, she met Oliver's eyes. “I've got some searches running on the Baker group and I'm monitoring the surveillance around the docks for activity on that weapons deal you want to break up.” She cocked her head to the side. “Do not touch my babies or I will HURT you!”

He frowned and his eyes softened as they scanned her face. “You're not sticking around tonight?”

Roy snorted. “She's got a personal date with 'Dexter'.”

Felicity pointed a finger at the red-archer in warning but his lips just curled into a smile and he threw up his free hand in mock-surrender. She looked back to Oliver. “I'm done for the night. I'll see you tomorrow.” She started up the stairs, but slowed down as she neared Roy. “Just remember...I was with you the whole time and I'm making it look like an animal attack.”

Roy laughed and nodded. “I got yo back.”

==========


	5. Chapter Four

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Felicity gets her first taste of being a slayer...and it's even more painful than she imagined.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Hey guys! I want to thank everyone again who commented on the last chapter. I can't tell you how much getting your feedback is appreciated. I've been in the middle of my work week so I haven't gotten to write much but hopefully that will change. I will also try to respond to all your feedback shortly.
> 
> I'm glad to see no one seemed to want to shank me over my interpretation of Laurel. As I said, she's not the bad guy, but she is going to be annoying. She's pushing for a place on the team in whatever capacity she can and she's going to step on some toes. I actually didn't think how Laurel joined the team on the show was very organic. It just seemed too forced and pushed. I'm not gonna get on my Laurel soapbox again...I just think there was a grave injustice done to what could have been an awesome character if written better.
> 
> Note for Buffy fans: You'll see in this chapter that I'm playing around with Buffy lore some. In the show they never delved all that deeply into what actual powers slayers have other than the superstrength. My take was always that there was more to the package than that. I don't want to offend any purists, but I'm also gonna take things my own way. I hope you like my take on things. 
> 
> Thanks again for the feedback and I hope you enjoy the new chapter!
> 
> Disclaimer: I own NOTHING...except Cross and Dare...well and Case but he barely makes a cameo.

========== 

It was shortly after eleven when Felicity found herself once again walking toward the front door of The Bronze. This time there was a line and she frowned and cocked her head to the side. She really didn't want to stand in line. The clientele seemed to range from punk, to alternative, to straight-up goth. This would so have been her Mecca a few years back...no wonder she felt so comfortable here. A couple of the girls in line caught sight of her and started laughing and whispering behind their hands. Felicity rolled her eyes. If they only knew...she could be their queen.

“Ms. Smoak?” Felicity's head snapped to the sound of her name. It was the bouncer from before. He smiled and waved her forward. Breathing a sigh of relief, Felicity walked toward him. She heard a black-haired girl at the front start to whine as she drew closer. Felicity looked the girl over. She was wearing a 'My Chemical Romance' tee, a shredded leather mini-skirt, and calf-high black leather boots. The blonde genius smirked. “Those clothes scream 'Hot Topic',” she paused for effect and met the girl's furious eyes, “you poser.”

The bouncer huffed a laugh and held the door open for her. Felicity smiled at him sweetly and shook her head at the girl. In a couple of years she'd be burning every picture she could find of that outfit.

Walking deeper into the club, Felicity was pleasantly surprised to see a live band playing on the stage. Their music had a low pulsing alternative beat she thought she'd heard before, but couldn't exactly place. Couples swayed seductively against each other on the dimly lit dance floor while others filled booths and couches set up for privacy. Felicity headed for the crowded bar area. She was only a few feet away when she recognized the bartender as Dare and not the woman she was expecting. Shrugging, she pushed her way to the bar and waited to grab his attention.

After finishing his next drink order, Dare's eyes slid unerringly to land on Felicity. He cocked a brow in question and walked slowly to stand opposite her. He leaned forward on his elbows and close enough to keep their conversation private. “Thought you couldn't get away before twelve.”

“Don't get use to it,” Felicity said. She motioned to the crowd around the bar. “You need me to wait until one?”

He shook his head. “Give me minute to grab some relief then we'll go see what you can do.”

As she watched him walk toward a phone mounted on the wall, Felicity scoffed. “Oh, I already know what I can do...hurt myself and fall down a lot. It's super impressive.”

The amused look Dare threw back over his shoulder had her wondering again just what exactly he was. There was no way he should have been able to hear her over the noise in the club. Determined not to be outdone, Felicity tried to focus her hearing onto the gorgeous stranger. She was a slayer, right? She had enhanced hearing...

“Hey,” she heard Dare's voice clearly and smiled in triumph, “send down Ryder. Felicity's here.”

Then an overly eager patron bumped Felicity's shoulder and it all went wrong. Her focus slipped and suddenly everything came blaring straight at her. The music's heavy beat, talking, laughing, people moving, glasses clanking, feet shuffling...it was too much...everything was TOO much! She covered her ears with her hands but it still didn't block out the sound. Her eyes watered as her head pounded and she felt herself breathing harder as she started to panic. She couldn't make it stop! She couldn't...

Felicity felt herself being pulled and didn't have the strength to resist through the onslaught of noise. She heard a new sound, a slow hushed breathe beside her ear. She felt herself tucked against someone and then eased down into a sitting position. Her eyes were squeezed shut and tears rolled down her face.

“Come on, Felicity,” a low voice broke through the chaos, “focus on me. You can do it. Just focus on my voice. Let the rest of it go.”

She jerked her head from side to side. She couldn't.

“You can. You can do it,” she recognized Dare's voice. She felt him take her hands in his. He rubbed them back and forth with his fingers. “Just focus on me. Breathe and focus on me.”

Felicity whimpered. She felt herself shaking, but she tried...she tried to push the rest of the noise away. She felt another hand land on her shoulder and jerked. Another soothing shush sounded beside her. The white noise helped...it helped her to focus. “You've got this, Sweetie. We've got you.” She recognized Cross. The other woman ran her hands up and down Felicity's arms. It gave her something else to focus on and finally....FINALLY...the roar started to dull away. 

Several minutes later, Felicity finally felt safe to open her eyes. She saw Dare crouched in front of her wearing a sympathetic expression. She released a shaky breathe. “So that was a really stupid idea, huh?”

Dare shook his head. “Not stupid...hasty. We'll work on honing your senses,” he smirked and lifted his brows, “just not in a packed nightclub.”

Felicity groaned and hung her head. “I am so fail!”

Cross chuckled and squeezed her shoulders. “You'll learn. That's why you're here.”

“You're still going to make me train, aren't you?” Oliver would totally still make her train...you know...if he ever really trained her. Of course, that would require him to take time away from Gorgeous Laurel and THAT wasn't going to happen anytime soon...and...

Felicity took in Dare's expression and winced. “I said that all out loud, didn't I?”

“I'd advise you keeping the training to me and Cross for now,” Dare ignored the rest of her babble. “As impressive as I'm sure Oliver Queen's training techniques are...he's human.”

Felicity flushed. She heard Cross laugh. “He's a damn fine human.” Felicity looked back and the woman winked at her. “Even if he is a pig.”

Deciding she really wasn't in the mood to defend Oliver at the moment, Felicity sucked up her courage and pushed herself to her feet. “Okay, what do you want me to do?”

Cross wrapped her arm around Felicity's shoulders and started leading her toward a door across the room. “Let's get you changed. Polka dots, skirts, and heels aren't really gonna work...”

Felicity frowned. “I left my cute training clothes at the...” she paused and looked at Cross, “at my gym. I had this really cute pink and black set, but the guys looked at me all weird and amused and then the...gym got wrecked and I forgot to take them home...”

Cross nodded and continued to push her forward. “You can borrow a set from me and buy yourself whatever cutesy color you want tomorrow.”

“Are you laughing at me?” Felicity accused.

“No Sweetie,” Cross assured her, “I've met several of your slayer sisters. I'm just happy you're not a cheerleader.”

Felicity stopped and glared. “I'm a former goth-chick from Vegas.”

Cross grinned. “You'll fit right in.”

========= 

She hurt...all...over. That was the thought on repeat in Felicity's head the next morning when her alarm went off at 7:30 and she actually had to drag her sore ass out of bed and get ready for work. She'd dropped exhausted into bed at exactly 4:23 and she was expected bright and perky in her uncomfortable swivel chair in IT hell by nine. Felicity whimpered, immediately started a pot of coffee, grabbed her cell phone, and headed for her bathroom. Without consciously deciding on it, she dialed one of the two new numbers added to her phone a few hours before.

“Yo?” 

The male voice was deep, husky in all the right ways, and so not who Felicity was expecting to hear. “Where's Cross? Is she asleep? Cause if so...WAKE HER UP! I'm up and sore and I need to whine...A LOT!”

A deep chuckle echoed through the line and Felicity's tummy tingled despite herself. “Have at it.” She heard rustling and whispering and then Cross' voice. “Morning, Sweetie, what can I help you with?”

“I am still sore!” Felicity growled. “Why am I still sore?”

Cross sighed. “You utilized numerous muscle groups that you've never used before. You're going to be sore.”

“I'm a slayer,” Felicity lowered her voice on instinct like someone other than the brunette could overhear her in her empty apartment. “I thought that was part of the package.”

“Are you having problems moving around?”

Felicity thought about it...about her trip out of bed and around her apartment. It really hadn't slowed her down honestly. If anything she was up and moving more quickly than normal. “Well...no...not exactly...” she narrowed her eyes, “but I'm still sore.”

“You body is going to take time to adjust to your new routine, Felicity,” Cross sounded nice and reasonable. Felicity had found last night that Dare and Cross always sounded nice and reasonable. They didn't lose their patience. They didn't get hysterical. They didn't get angry at her and her whining and her frustration. They just encouraged her to keep going and calmed her down and told her she could do it despite her constant protests...which is probably why her first reaction this morning was to call the other woman and not...you know...911.

“It will get better?” Felicity asked hopefully.

“Quickly,” Cross assured her. “Your muscles are letting you know they've been used, but they're still not hampering your physical activities. We could work out again right now. You aren't struggling to walk, or sit down, or...”

“Yea,” Felicity snorted, “I did occasionally work out before. I know what you mean. I'm not groaning loudly as I sit down on the toilet like my eighty-five-year-old Nana.” Realizing the picture she'd just painted, Felicity smacked herself on the forehead. “Anyway...I needed to whine...because I'm sore and I have to be at work in an hour and fifteen minutes.”

“I gave you my number for a reason, Sweetie,” Cross said. “You can call me any time.”

“I don't know why I called you and not Dare,” Felicity admitted as she started gathering her things and getting ready to take her shower. “I think it's a girl thing. You're a girl and I'm a girl and...” she paused as something else occurred to her, “and why didn't you tell me you knew Barry White?”

Cross laughed out loud and Felicity thought she heard a protest in the background. She really hoped that comment hadn't been overheard. “I mean I know we just met, but that seems like an important detail to fill a girl in on. When I called your number I was expecting sexy female purr and not husky rumbly growl, you know?”

“That was my...boyfriend Case,” she could still hear the amusement in Cross' voice. “We keep our cells in the same place and he never checks the phone before he answers it. I'm sure you'll meet him soon.”

“Okay,” Felicity said as she pulled out a towel and washcloth, “but I may melt all over his shoes as soon as he opens his mouth. I'm warning you now. Tell me his job involves using that voice. It HAS to!” She paused thoughtfully. “I mean it really isn't fair. You're hot and rich and you own those awesome clubs...you can kick major ass...and you have the total cool factor going for you...you never freak out and have a super calming presence...AND your boyfriend has Barry White voice. How is that fair?”

“You feeling better now, Sweetie?”

And Felicity realized she was. Apparently she really did just need to whine. Her muscles even seemed to be cooperating better. “Uhmm...yes?”

“Get ready for work and I'll see you tonight,” she could hear the smile in the other woman's voice.

Felicity shook her head at herself. “And you have just experienced your first morning babble, Cross. It won't be the last.”

“Bye, Sweetie.”

“Bye, Cross,” Felicity disconnected the call and threw her phone out into her bedroom. It landed exactly where she'd intended on top of her bed. “Whoa...” her eyes widened as it bounced and then stilled. There was a reason she paid for an OtterBox...that phone met the floor on a regular basis. A week ago, Felicity was well-acquainted with the phrase 'couldn't hit the broad side of a barn'. “I have no idea how I'm supposed to explain instant coordination,” she frowned and cocked her head to the side, “maybe they just won't notice.”

A loud familiar ringtone filled the air and Felicity groaned as she hurried across the room to pick back up the phone and accept the call. This was getting complicated. Still, she put on her best normal morning voice. “Morning, John. Yes, I'm fine...no I wasn't attacked by some random bad guy popping back up from Oliver's mysterious island past, and NO I don't need you to take time out of your day to chauffeur me around. I will see you guys promptly at seven tonight in the lair and now I need to hurry up and take my shower. Did I miss anything?”

“I know something's going on with you, Smoak,” Digg skipped a greeting.

“But you also trust me to come to you when I'm ready,” Felicity smiled as a wave of affection for the man rolled through her.

Digg grunted. “I'll see you tonight.”

“Love you too, Digg.” She disconnected the call, dropped the phone and hurried back toward the bathroom. At this point she'd be lucky if her coffee didn't burn...and she really really needed her coffee.

==========


	6. Chapter Five

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Felicity continues to dig into her new connections...and catches up with a certain vigilante.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Thank you again to everyone who gave me feedback! I really appreciate it! Hope you enjoy the new chapter. I finally got to play some with the Olicity side of things. I hope it came across okay. This will definitely be a slow burn, but I have to start somewhere. Also this should answer some questions about where Oliver's head is at. 
> 
> As a note on my originals, I work better when I picture things in my head. All of my original characters were imagined years ago and each has an avatar (or someone I imagine playing them). If anyone wants to know who to imagine them as, feel free to ask. 
> 
> Here goes...
> 
> Disclaimer: I own NOTHING...except Cross and Dare...

========== 

Digging on Dare turned up even less information than she'd managed to find on Cross. At least with Cross she had the clubs to follow but Dare didn't even have that trail. He was rich...old money rich...and descended from British aristocracy this time. And what was with these people? Felicity didn't think she'd ever met aristocracy in her life...and she ran around with Oliver Queen on a regular basis. She'd been to galas and charity dinners and QC functions galore and she couldn't remember being introduced to a single Lord or Lady so and so. But now she'd met two in the same damn day. Sure they weren't going around calling themselves Lady Cross and Lord Dare, and she'd totally laugh at them if they did, but there was more to this. She knew it...she could feel it in her gut...and that sucker was even more reliable these days.

It all had to connect back to whatever BT was. She'd dug through every database she dared (no pun intended) that morning and hit nothing but dead ends. She was hesitant to hack the really illegal stuff on QC servers and even more to start hitting up the supernatural angle. She was good...well lets be serious she was better than good...at covering her tracks but she knew her work at QC was being watched. Popular opinion might be pushing to get Oliver back behind the CEO desk, but she was another matter. The business world still held more than its share of sexists pigs and it never occurred to any of them that Oliver might have promoted her to his EA for anything more than her skills on her back.

Normally Felicity would only need some alone time with her babies at the lair to solve this problem, but with Gorgeous Laurel staring over her shoulder every night that wasn't going to happen. Weren't lawyers supposed to work long late hours? Felicity was more of a sci-fi and fantasy fan, but she'd caught the random law show through sheer boredom over the years. All the lawyers she could remember were constantly working late on briefs and preparing closing arguments...and starting affairs with their sometimes-married coworkers, but so not the point. Did all those law shows have it completely wrong? Or was Laurel really going to sink her law career while she was chasing her unlawful one?

UGH! She was getting off track. Felicity rubbed her eyes and tried to focus. Maybe she could take off tomorrow? And how sad was it that she might have to take a personal day just to get enough time alone at the lair to deal with her personal problems? If Lian Yu wasn't the trip from hell, Felicity might seriously make a special visit just to kick Slade's ASS for letting Laurel in the know! 

“Felicity?”

“What?!?” She jumped and her head snapped up to see Oliver standing at the door to her cubicle. He was wearing a gray suit and a light blue tie that brought out the color of his eyes. Those baby blues were currently twinkling at her frazzled state. He smiled. “Hey, sorry to startle you.”

She waved away his apology. “My life is one big surprise at this point, Oliver. You are the least of my concerns.” He frowned but something occurred to Felicity. She cocked her head to the side. “What are you doing here?”

“I'm supposed to meet with Walter and a few members of the board,” Oliver told her distractedly. “What do you mean I'm the least of your concerns? What's going on with you?”

Felicity's eyes widened. “I thought your meeting wasn't until Monday! Why didn't you tell me?”

“The official meeting is Monday,” Oliver explained, “this is all preliminary. Walter set it up yesterday. It slipped my mind until after you ran out early last night.” His brows drew together and he reached out to pull an empty chair over. He unbuttoned his suit jacket and sat down beside her. Leaning close he lowered his voice. “Felicity, you know you can tell me anything.”

Felicity rolled her eyes. “There's nothing to tell, Oliver. I finished up and called it an early night.” She really did not want to deal with suspicious Oliver right now. As flattering as it was that he was so aware of her...well it never did her any good, did it? By this point Felicity was right at home in the 'friend zone' where he'd stuck her. Oliver didn't get to push for a bigger place in her confidence when he was still playing tag with the Lance sisters and treating her like she was asexual.

“Felicity...” he drew out the syllables of her name and it both made her stomach flip and pissed her off. The man knew he had an affect on her and it wasn't fair.

“I don't know what you want me to say, Oliver,” Felicity crossed her arms over her chest. “I wanted to go home so I went home.”

Oliver sighed and ran a hand through his short hair. “Is this about Laurel?”

He sounded so concerned and earnest...and yet Felicity wanted to beat him upside the head. “Oh no,” she shook her head, “I'm not touching that one with a ten-foot pole. Laurel is your problem. You are NOT going to make her mine.”

“If Laurel's presence makes you uncomfortable...”

Felicity gaped at him. He was unbelievable! He was not pinning this on her. “NOT my problem, Oliver. If you want Laurel out of the lair then retrieve your balls from her purse and tell her so yourself.” His eyes widened and she winced. “And okay, yes, I shouldn't have mentioned your balls because they are SO not my business and you can put them anywhere you want...” she winced again, “not that I think about where you may or may not put your balls because we are friends and there are no balls in the 'friend zone'.” She slammed her head down into her hands. “And oh my god, that sounds like a really inappropriate slogan for a t-shirt...why does my mouth do this to me?”

When she peaked up again Oliver was smiling at her affectionately...because of course he was. He reached out a hand and brushed a strand of hair out of her face, tucking it behind her ear. Felicity tried to ignore the tingle his touch left behind and the dip in her stomach. He canted his head to the side. “When do you get your glasses back? Digg said you had a problem with them yesterday morning.”

Seriously? Did they do a daily rundown on her? Felicity bit her bottom lip. “I'm thinking of just sticking with the contacts actually.”

Oliver frowned again. “I wish you wouldn't,” at Felicity's confused look he shrugged, “I like your glasses. They're part of what makes you...you.”

And Felicity couldn't stop herself from smiling at that if she tried. Clark Kent it was then.

========== 

The meeting went well, it looked like life might actually be getting back to normal day job wise, and Felicity got to deal with a happy Oliver showing back up to take her to lunch. She thought about objecting, she was juggling many balls in the air at this point and she could really use that lunch time to do more searching, but she hated to disappoint him and they hadn't gotten to spend any friend-time lately. So instead she allowed him to usher her out of QC and drive them both to Big Belly. She also started to lay the ground work for her cover story. “So...I forgot to tell you guys last night but I joined a gym yesterday.”

“A gym?” his lifted brow said volumes.

Felicity shrugged and munched on another fry. “You guys are always saying I need to train more. I think I would benefit from a personal trainer.” That sounded normal, right? Lots of people used personal trainers.

Apparently not. Oliver was looking distinctly disgruntled...she might even say offended. “Felicity, you already have two personal trainers. Three if you count Roy.”

She snorted and almost choked on her fry. “Dude, we are NOT counting Roy!” She cocked her head to the side and leaned forward for emphasis. “I'm not slapping water and that's totally what he'd have me do...all day. He's just waiting for the chance to pay that forward.”

Oliver chuckled softly and shook his head. “Dude?”

Felicity rolled her eyes. “Yea, like it's not a word you were intimately acquainted with pre-island.”

Oliver's lips stayed curled into a soft smile...one of those smiles Felicity liked to believe were only for her. They weren't all sexy 'I-want-to-take-you-right-now', they were more 'look-at-the-cute-little-Felicity', but they melted her heart all the same. This man didn't smile, REALLY smile, for just anyone. Felicity knew she would probably never hold the place in his heart she wanted to...the one she dreamed of when she forgot herself and let her guard down...but she still had a spot and most of the time that was more than enough.

“That still doesn't explain why you can't be trained by me or Digg,” he pointed out.

Felicity shrugged and tried to sound casual. “You and John have more than enough on your plate without adding me to the mix.”

The smile fell away to be replaced with an irritated frown. Oliver propped his elbows on the table and ground his teeth. “This is about Laurel.”

“No, Oliver, this has nothing to do with Laurel,” she pursed her fushia-painted lips, “but apparently everything else in your life does right now.”

He carded his fingers through his hair. “I can't let her run around by herself, Felicity. She'll only get herself killed.” He sighed and looked down. “Less than a year ago I believed having Laurel know and accept my secret would make my life complete. I thought it was too much to hope for, but I still dreamed.” He smiled again, but this one was infinitely sad. Felicity thought of this as his 'Laurel' smile actually and what did that say about their relationship? “I wouldn't have to lie to her, she would finally understand that I wasn't that selfish asshole anymore...that I wanted to be the man she deserved...to be someone she could be proud of.”

Felicity hesitated a second but then reached out and took his hands in hers. She squeezed his fingers lightly. “That's perfectly understandable, Oliver. Everyone wants their loved ones to be proud of them...and Laurel is proud...obviously.” The words felt sour in her mouth, but she forced herself to say them. 

“It isn't a year ago, Felicity.” Felicity's eyes widened in surprise at his words. Oliver squeezed her fingers in return. “Laurel's not you.” Felicity knew her mouth dropped open at that and Oliver rushed to explain. “What I mean is that Laurel doesn't understand her place isn't out in the field with me, Roy, and Digg. Digg and I both have years of training and field experience. Roy got a crash course because of the Mirakuru and I'm still not completely satisfied with his training.” He pulled his hands away and rubbed his face. “As soon as Laurel learned my secret, as soon as the situation with Slade was resolved, she wanted to jump straight into the deep end and join the team. She's been training for a few months. She's not an asset...she's a liability.”

“I...” Felicity blinked and tried to slow her racing heart...she still wasn't quite over that 'Laurel's not you' comment. She told herself he hadn't meant it that way. Oliver would never intentionally lead her on...and she was in the 'friend zone'. She had to keep reminding herself that she lived in the 'friend zone'. “I don't really know what to say, Oliver. Laurel wants to feel useful.” She forced a smile and shrugged. “I can understand that.”

Oliver's eyes were intense. “You know we could never do what we do without you, Felicity. You should never doubt that.”

Felicity took a long deep breath. She clasped her hands together and felt them shaking. “We were talking about Laurel...”

Oliver still didn't break eye contact. His expression didn't waver. “And Laurel haunting the lair is affecting you. I won't let her into the field so she stays behind and pushes you. She's pushing to make herself a spot...it's something she's always done. She's a determined woman and she goes after what she wants. I usually admire that trait, but not when it comes at your expense.” He reached back out and retook her shaking hands. Felicity's breath hitched in her throat and she swallowed hard. He was doing a lot of touching today. “She doesn't get to make you uncomfortable. She doesn't get to take your spot.”

Felicity snorted. “I am not the weakest link, Oliver. Laurel only thinks she's hard-headed. I've been butting heads with you since the beginning, remember? I'm not going anywhere.” As she watched some of the tension ease out of him and that special smile return, Felicity realized that's what this boiled down to. She cocked her head to the side and smiled back at him. “You're not going to lose me, Oliver.”

He squeezed her hands again. “Losing you is not an option.” Felicity's stomach dipped and she started chanting 'friend zone' to a musical rhythm in her head. She got so distracted by her impromptu silent rap that she almost missed his next words. “But I don't know what to do about Laurel.”

Felicity shrugged and used the movement to pull her hands away. She'd about reached her quota for 'Oliver-touching' before she melted into a puddle of goo at his feet and he really didn't need the complication of her inconvenient crush on top of everything else at the moment. “I guess you should take it one day at a time. Maybe she'll realize she's not ready.” At Oliver's expression she couldn't help but laugh. “Yea, I'm not holding my breath either. No offense but Gorgeous Laurel can be a little thick...and really really annoying,” she admitted.

Oliver winced. “It seemed admirable when she was hounding me to actually attend my college courses and lay off the booze.”

Felicity laughed again. “There's a thin line between that dogged determination and straight out insanity, Oliver. She should have realized she was beating her head against a brick wall. You failed out of four colleges.” She smiled teasingly. “You sir, were a failing failer who failed! Being that much of a loser took work.”

Oliver chuckled and Felicity realized he looked a little embarrassed. “I might have been trying to set a record.”

Felicity's jaw dropped and then at his abashed expression she laughed so hard she thought she might cry. She bumped her head down against the table in front of her. “I cannot believe I am friends with you!”

“Neither can I,” he told when she finally calmed down, his eyes soft and lips curled up at the edges, “but I'm thankful every day.”

And how was she supposed to steel her heart against that?

==========


	7. Chapter Six

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Felicity continues to search for more information on her mysterious new mentors while Laurel continues to push and challenge Felicity's place on the team.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Thanks again for all the feedback guys! It's very appreciated and it keeps me writing. I'll try to respond to everyone. I wanted to go ahead and get the next chapter up.
> 
> I seem to be getting mixed reviews on my Oliver so far. I actually wasn't trying to make him as irritating as some of you seem to take him. This is a slow burn so I don't want to have him immediately declare his love for Felicity. He does value her and she is a priority for him, but he's going to play things pretty close to the vest for a while. I think that's where his character was at back in this time period. There were a lot of charged looks, telling actions, and very few words with lots of hidden meaning. 
> 
> I'd love to hear what you guys think! Hope you enjoy the new chapter!
> 
> Disclaimer: I own NOTHING...except Cross and Dare...

==========

 

She was convinced he was doing it on purpose. Felicity had been in the lair for exactly thirty-two minutes and Oliver had spent twenty-five of them on the salmon ladder. He knew she loved that damn thing...he knew she couldn't focus when he was going up and down right in her line of sight...UGH! How was she supposed to keep her calm and be a good and supportive friend and teammate when he kept flaunting all his muscly hotness right in her face? The man was infuriating!

 

“Felicity?” Digg's voice made her jump. An embarrassing 'eep' might have escaped her mouth, but she pretended she didn't hear it. She painted on a bland expression and looked up at her surrogate big brother and his impressive tree-trunk arms...great google the hotness! She pursed her lips and lifted her brows. “Yes?”

 

Digg smirked. “How are the searches going?”

 

Felicity's mouth dropped open. “Uh...” and then her brain caught up and she remembered that she was supposed to be running searches on The Baker Group and the arms deal...and she was! She really was running those searches...she was just much more personally focused on the search of the supernatural database she'd taken a chance to run hoping no one would notice.

 

Normally she would have waited until her boys were out on patrol but...Gorgeous Laurel and all that...Felicity was getting desperate. She couldn't search at QC and she didn't want any evidence traced back to her apartment, personal phone, or hotspot. Laurel was too distracted while Oliver was actually present to spent time hovering over Felicity's shoulder like Big Brother, so the blonde genius had taken a chance and hidden the searches in the background of her actual Arrow-related work. But Digg didn't know about that...she prayed anyway...

 

“Nothing solid yet on the arms deal,” she answered him carefully, “and our best play on The Baker Group still looks like the charity dinner on Saturday night.”

 

“I can help with that.” Laurel spoke up eagerly from her position also watching Oliver work through his longer-than-usual routine on the ladder-of-lust. “I'm invited.”

 

Felicity saw Oliver pause and an evil little part deep inside of her chuckled at his newest Laurel dilemma. She knew now that the last thing he wanted was Laurel's help in the field...or in the lair really...hmm...what was Laurel's purpose again?

 

Laurel smiled so brightly at the possibility of helping that Felicity felt guilty and petty for her thoughts. “They like to keep DA's office happy.”

 

“Considering how dirty Baker and his cronies are, the DA's office is going to be HAPPY to chunk their asses in prison when we're done with them,” Felicity said.

 

“Exactly,” Laurel agreed. She turned to Oliver. “I can take you as my plus-one Ollie.”

 

Oliver let his body hang loosely from the bar as he considered how to answer. His expression was guarded. “I already have an invite, Laurel. I'm taking Felicity.” When Laurel opened her mouth to object, he pushed on. “We'll slip away and find Baker's office so she can pull the evidence off of his mainframe. It's a pretty standard play. We've done it before.”

 

“Many times,” Digg agreed.

 

Felicity shrugged and cocked her head to the side. “Well more like three...” She could read the annoyance on both Oliver and Digg's faces. She winced. “But many works.”

 

Laurel's expression turned sour for a moment before she cleared it. “I thought Felicity didn't work in the field?”

 

There was an undercurrent to her tone and Felicity realized that Oliver was right. Laurel didn't just want a spot on the team. Laurel wanted HER spot on the team. The other woman seemed to have a problem with Felicity specifically. Looking back at their interactions over the last few months...and hell even from that first awkward meeting at Verdant...the pieces starting falling into place and Felicity couldn't believe she'd missed it before. For some reason Gorgeous Laurel didn't like her...and she never had.

 

But the blonde had no time to process that further at the moment. She saw Digg's eyes narrow and Oliver allowed himself to drop to the mat beneath him. Oliver faced Laurel head-on. “Felicity only works in the field when necessary, Laurel. I want her in the lair,” his eyes cut to Felicity and softened for a moment, “in her _zone_...but that's not always possible.”

 

Felicity flushed and realized he must have heard her muttering about her 'zone' before. She bit her lip and shrugged embarrassed, but not denying the truth of his statement.

 

Laurel crossed her arms under her breasts. “Can't she walk me through it over the comms?”

 

Felicity's eyes widened. “Walk you through hacking into the high-security network of a criminal mastermind?”

 

“Are you kidding?” Now even Roy walked over to join them. He was looking at Laurel like she was stupid. “You can't do Blondie's job. No one can do Blondie's job.”

 

Felicity could see that Laurel was becoming more and more agitated. She wanted to feel sorry for the other woman, but Felicity honestly couldn't fathom what was going through Laurel's mind. She obviously saw Felicity as some kind of a threat, but to what? There was more than enough room on the team for two women. Felicity's skill set was pretty specific (newfound slayer abilities aside). She was tech support. Laurel would never be able to fill that role. With all the training and the sweating and the heaving bosoms over the last few months, Felicity had no idea the gorgeous brunette would even want to. She wanted to fight with the team, right? Wasn't that the point? So how could she consider Felicity any kind of a threat?

 

“Roy's right,” Oliver spoke up again before Felicity could try to chide Roy for his tone or that damn nickname. “So thank you for the offer, Laurel,” his voice sounded low and slightly husky to her sensitive ears, “but Felicity is irreplaceable.”

 

Laurel made another face and her eyes flashed, but Digg stepped in front of her blocking Felicity's view. “Damn straight.” He looked back over his shoulder to wink at the IT genius before addressing Laurel. “Now are we going to train or what?” Laurel backed down and she and John moved away and toward the mats.

 

Roy frowned after them before speaking to Oliver. “Man don't get me wrong, I like Sara, but the Lance girls carry around more drama than Blondie does tech. If you could keep your exes OUT of the lair, it might make all our lives run a little bit smoother.”

 

“Thank you for you input, Roy,” Oliver drawled. “Now get back to work.”

 

Roy just lifted his brows and threw his hands up in surrender.

 

“And STOP calling me that!” Felicity growled.

 

==========

 

By 10:45, the boys had arrived back from patrol early and Felicity was still working on her searches. The idea to call it and head over to The Bronze had occurred to her, of course, but Oliver was watching her like a hawk. Every time she so much as moved too far his eyes cut in her direction. He was also back working on the salmon ladder...this time using the bar to do hanging crunches. It gave him a direct view of her workstation...and her a direct view of his abs.

 

A light ping pulled her attention away from the tempting sight and back to her work. She frowned at the limited results from her latest supernatural search. She'd found some vague references to something called the Black Tide, but nothing definite and Felicity couldn't even be sure she was working in the right direction. In fact, from what she'd gathered she almost hoped she wasn't. Whatever this Black Tide was, it was spoken about with caution and fear. No one seemed to want to talk about this group and her history with such things indicated that usually wasn't a good sign.

 

Felicity's brow furrowed and she pulled up a document in the results. It was a list of dates and locations. Deciding it was a trail worth following, she set up a new search to check for any unusual activity reported from those dates in those locations.

 

“Find something?” She looked up distractedly and straight into intense blue eyes. How did he pull off smoldering at her from upside down? Her mind blanked. “Huh?”

 

“Your brow's doing that...” he ran his finger between his own brows and frowned, “crinkle thing...”

 

Felicity stared at him in disbelief. “That 'crinkle' thing?” How did he notice this? How did he notice this...from upside down? He opened his mouth probably in an attempt to clarify, but Felicity waved him off. She just didn't think she could handle any more of attentive Oliver tonight. “I'm starting some new searches. Nothing relevant to our current targets.”

 

“Okay.” Her expression must have warned him not to push. He resumed his exercises and Felicity allowed her gaze to wander up from his face to that oh-so-impressive chest. She could feel his eyes remain on her but he wisely played by the rules. It was a game they'd been playing almost as long as she'd been a part of the team...she watched him and he pretended not to notice.

 

Felicity wasn't sure exactly the moment something changed, but the view started out broad and distanced and ended up close and precise...and very very thorough. Her mouth might have watered a little as she started slowly tracing the lines and grooves of his muscles. A drop of sweat cut across her view and she followed its path. She lingered briefly on the scars as she crossed them...noting the different colors and textures of his skin around the edges.

 

Oliver stopped lifting for the crunches and Felicity realized while she'd been zoned out Laurel had moved over to start a conversation with him. She vaguely heard them bickering, but couldn't be bothered to try to decipher the cause. She was far too fascinated watching the slide of skin over muscle...all those wonderful muscles...

 

And suddenly...she was staring at Laurel's ass...W...T...F?

 

Felicity jumped and made a face....because SERIOUSLY? She squeezed her eyes shut and rubbed the lids with her fingers. After giving her vision a minute to correct, she chanced opening her eyes again and was greeted by a thankfully more distant view of Laurel's ass. Still not something she wanted to be looking at...but less traumatizing than the extreme mag view.

 

As she tuned in to the conversation, Felicity pieced together that Laurel was still unhappy about the charity dinner situation. Irritation sparked and Felicity's mouth opened before she could stop herself. “Laurel MOVE! You're in my way!”

 

Laurel spun to face Felicity, her arms crossed over her chest and her eyes flashing. “Excuse me?”

 

But this time Felicity refused to back down. This was her ZONE dammit! “I said move out of the way. You can bitch at Oliver all you want from over there.” She swept her hand to the side where Laurel would not be standing directly between herself and Oliver.

 

Laurel flashed her an outraged expression. “And what exactly are you doing that I'm in the way of, Felicity?”

 

And for the first time Felicity felt something wake up inside of herself and take notice of the situation. She felt something recognize Laurel's aggression and push back in response to the threat...something that wasn't afraid of Laurel or being embarrassed or what anyone else might think of the situation. The newly awakened part of the blonde didn't care if she made the situation worse...it only cared about proving its superiority and imposing its will.

 

Felicity bared her teeth at the gorgeous ANNOYING brunette and leaned across her workstation toward the other woman. “I am honing my newfound super-sight, Laurel...on Oliver's ABS!”

 

Laurel gasped, Oliver choked, and Felicity heard laughter echo from deeper in the lair. But the pissed-off predator inside of Felicity didn't care. Her burning eyes never wavered from Laurel. She stared the challenger down. “And I don't give a frelling frack if you want to nag Oliver into letting you 'La Femme Nikita' your way into that charity dinner so you can trail around after us all night like a pathetic creeper...” she pointed again to the side and out of the way, “as long as you do so without INTERRUPTING MY VIEW!”

 

Laurel gasped again, her furious gaze bouncing between Felicity and Oliver and back again, then she stormed out of the lair.

 

Felicity ignored Oliver, forced herself to take deep calming breaths, and slowly retook her seat. She pulled back up her work and resumed filtering through the data her searches had compiled. Glancing at the clock, she promised she'd give herself fifteen more minutes and then she was heading to The Bronze. As with so many nights over the last few months, Felicity really really wanted to hit something...and this time she decided she would.

 

==========

 


	8. Chapter Seven

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Felicity continues her slayer training and finally gets some much needed information. Dare and Cross start to realize that Felicity isn't the average slayer and her public life and associations may complicate their training even further.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I am blown away by everyone's reaction to the last chapter. I'm so glad everyone liked it. Thank you so much for the great feedback! I wanted to show that although she will always still stay true to herself, Felicity is going to start growing and changing in ways because of the slayer awakening inside her. I don't want to set this up as really a Felicity vs. Laurel thing, but Felicity is going to start standing up for herself and her position on the team. She's going to start speaking her mind more and not getting embarrassed quite as easily by it. It is no secret at this point that Felicity is attracted to Oliver and enjoys looking at him. She's never going to start throwing herself at him, but she's not going to apologize for enjoying the view. As for Laurel, Felicity accepts that the other woman is around, but she's over trying to stay out of her way and letting Laurel run over her.
> 
> This chapter does delve more into the Buffy side of things and gives some information on my headcanon for the supernatural world. I know it's not exactly true to the Buffy lore, but that's the joy of fanfiction and crossovers...I get to play around and make things my own. I hope you like it anyway and if it gets confusing or you have questions please send them my way. I don't have this entire story mapped out yet (though I know where it's going), but I have a definite supernatural world that my sister and I have played around in for years and years.
> 
> Once again I really want to thank everyone who commented on the last chapter. You guys just don't know how much you brightened my day. I didn't know when I started this if people would even be willing to read an Arrow/Buffy xover. I'm glad you gave it a chance and are enjoying it so far. I will try to respond soon! Love you guys!
> 
> Disclaimer: I own NOTHING...except Cross and Dare...

========== 

Felicity picked herself up off the mat and groaned rubbing her shoulder. She shook her left arm waiting for the sting to fade away and cut her eyes sharply at Cross. The other woman stared back calmly. “You're telegraphing your moves. You've got to work on masking your tells.”

Felicity rolled her eyes and muttered as she set up to go again. She knew better than to ask to take a break. Cross and Dare didn't take breaks. They wanted her to 'push through' and 'get angry'...well it was working. “This must be what it's like fighting Sara. Just so we're clear? MUCH more fun to watch.”

Cross smirked and quickly threw a series of punches that Felicity struggled to block. The brunette didn't pause, bending low and sweeping out a leg to knock Felicity off her feet. The blonde jumped the leg on pure instinct and spun backward out of her opponent's range. Cross popped back to a standing position and nodded. “Better.”

Felicity snorted. “Yea, not so much. That jump was dumb luck.”

“Your instincts and reflexes will save your life, Felicity,” Cross said. “You have to learn to trust them.”

“My instincts tell me to hide in the corner.”

Cross lifted her brow. “Do they?”

Felicity thought about it. She thought back to that hungry, aggressive feeling in the lair when Laurel refused to back down. “Okay, maybe not anymore,” she conceded, “but that doesn't mean I'm not still bumbling along like an accident waiting to happen. I SUCK at this.”

Cross sent her a smile and walked over to grab two water bottles sitting on a table. The two women were working out in the training room set up in the back of the club. Felicity might have found that a bit strange...if she wasn't Felicity. As it was, she wondered why they didn't use some of their considerable funds to conceal the room better. Something harder to access...underground maybe. Realizing where her thoughts were going Felicity groaned and rubbed her hand over her face. THIS is what Oliver had done to her. She was trying to turn The Bronze into a new lair.

Cross tossed one of the water bottles to Felicity and the blonde uncovered her face and easily caught it...which she wouldn't have been able to do a week before. Cross's smirk said she was making a point. “You don't suck. This is day two.”

Felicity took a loud gulp of water and looked Cross over. Her long black hair was in a clean braid down her back, she wore a gray sports bra, black and gray leggings, and sketchers. She also wasn't even sweating...the bitch. “We must have two different definitions of suck then,” Felicity gritted her teeth, “and no I didn't mean that in the naughty sexual way...I meant that in the 'you've been knocking me on my ass all night' way.” Felicity rubbed said ass and frowned. “I'm lucky I've got some padding back there.”

“I have a few years experience on you, Sweetie. You're learning...and the slayer package helps. I'm not your average opponent.”

Felicity cocked her head to the side. “No, my average opponent will be a supernaturally strong monster with fangs and a hemoglobin dependent diet. I am going to get eaten.”

The expression on Cross's face made Felicity think she was missing something...but she couldn't figure out what. “I'm not your average opponent,” was all the woman said again.

Felicity blew out a breath and wiped the sweat off her forehead. “Still, maybe I should take Oliver up on his offer to train. It couldn't hurt, right?”

Cross stared at her in disbelief. “It could hurt HIM. You can't train with a human, Felicity.” The other woman stepped forward to face the blonde and emphasize her point. “I've seen the guy's body from the tabloids and I'll admit he's pretty ripped, but no matter what martial arts training program he uses, he's not prepared to face a slayer.” 

Felicity pursed her lips. “You might be surprised.”

Cross shook her head. “No, you will be...and you can't take that chance. You don't have enough control to hold back yet. You don't know your own strength.” She pointed at Felicity and her eyes were serious. “No training with humans.”

Felicity threw her hands up in surrender. “Okay, okay...trust me, the last thing I want is to hurt Oliver.”

Cross grinned. “From what I read, you wouldn't be the first woman if you did.” Felicity opened her mouth to defend him and that's when Cross made her move. She danced forward and sent a jab toward Felicity's core. Felicity 'eeped' and dove backward out of reach again. She rolled and somehow came up to her feet in position to face Cross. The woman smiled proudly and lifted her hands into position. “Like I said...you're learning.”

==========

An hour later, Felicity was cooling down at the bar of the now-closed club with both her new mentors. She sipped slowly at a glass of red wine she probably shouldn't be drinking, but she just couldn't bring herself to care. Cross gave her free drinks and Felicity was determined to take advantage. Felicity toasted them with the glass. “One more for Thea!”

Cross chuckled and shook her head. “I'm not worried about you breaking the bank, Sweetie.”

Felicity shrugged. She hummed to herself and let her thoughts run away from her. Her mouth opened seemingly without her permission. “This isn't what I expected, you know? I mean...no offense or anything, but I thought slayer training would be a little more about...slaying stuff.”

Dare smirked from his position leaning against the bar opposite her. “We'll get there. We're starting with the basics. What did you think slayer training would entail exactly?”

Felicity got distracted for a moment by the pretty that was Dare. He was wearing a black club t-shirt tonight and somehow the contrast of the dark color with his lighter skin and hair made him look even more edible than usual...not that she really knew what he usually looked like at this point. She'd only known the man for two days. For all she knew he might look this good on a regular basis and that just would not be fair. She already had to deal with the Oliver hotness every day while she was getting exactly NONE...must she now have to deal with Dare hotness every night as well? 

“Uh...” Dare's expression was a mix between embarrassed and amused.

“Great google!” Felicity groaned and banged her head down on the bar. “I said that out loud, didn't I?”

Cross snickered and patted her back in sympathy. “It's nothing he hasn't heard before.”

“I'm not hitting on you!” Felicity said into the bar.

“I know,” Dare shrugged unconcerned and turned the subject back, “now what did you think slayer training would involve?”

Felicity thought about it and frowned as she lifted her head. “Lurking in graveyards? Checking out fresh graves while carrying around a stick?”

“No signs of Possessed activity yet,” Cross said, “we're keeping an eye out.”

“Possessed activity?”

“Most prevalent species of vampire,” Dare explained.

“The cockroaches of the supernatural world,” Cross added.

“There are multiple species of vampires?” Felicity's head was starting to hurt...because really? One wasn't enough?

Dare reached out and covered one of her hands with his. He squeezed it reassuringly. “Breathe...most species aren't really your jurisdiction. The Possessed, however, are.”

“They're called Possessed because the victim's body is literally possessed by the demon to create them.” Cross said. “The victim's soul is gone. They might still exhibit some traits of the former person, but they are essentially a vessel to house the demon and allow it into this plane.”

“Demon body-snatchers...fabulous.”

“It usually doesn't take them long to show up around supernatural hotspots,” Dare said. “Most Possessed are still at the mercy of their instincts. They feed, they kill, they create more Possessed...that's the sum total of their life goals.”

“Unlife,” Cross corrected while smirking at him.

Dare rolled his eyes. “There are exceptions, those turned as childre and not minions, those that stick around long enough to become masters...but the vast majority of Possessed are just...”

“Cockroaches,” Cross interrupted.

Felicity canted her head to the side. “Wouldn't ticks be a better metaphor?”

“I like ticks better than Possessed,” Cross said. 

Felicity waved her hand between Cross and Dare. “See! This is what I need to know! I need information. I need species and origins and habits and weaknesses. I do not like walking into a situation not knowing what I'm dealing with.” She narrowed her eyes on Dare. “I know nothing is certain and that anomalies and unexpected situations will crop up, but the more information I have the better prepared I'll be.”

Dare lifted a brow at her. “You WANT to study up on species of vampires?”

“DUH!” Felicity said.

“You really aren't the average slayer.”

Crossed hummed and drew Felicity's attention. She tapped her full bottom lip with her finger. “We can't afford to take too much time out of your practical training for study at this point. I can get some resources for you to look through though, but it might take a few days.”

“You two are walking supernatural encyclopedias,” Felicity pointed out. “You can at least fill in some blanks until then.”

Dare and Cross shared a look. Then Cross shrugged. “Can you make some time this afternoon? Maybe before your night job?”

Felicity bounced excitedly in her seat at the prospect of finally getting more info but then she realized something and made a face. “This afternoon will be a stretch. I need to go pick up my Clark Kent glasses before the la....uh work.”

Now both of them were staring at her. “Your what?” Dare voiced the question they were both obviously thinking.

Felicity waved a hand in the air. “My Clark Kent glasses...I'm getting clear lenses put in my frames.”

“Why?” Cross wondered.

“Because I wear glasses,” Felicity said and rolled her eyes...because OBVIOUSLY. “My prescription makes my vision all blurry now.”

Dare snorted confused. “So you're paying to get clear lenses put in your old frames?”

Why was that so strange? Didn't these people watch Superman? Secret identities were difficult to maintain. It was the little details that sold the story. 

“I thought about telling everyone I'd decided to go contacts full-time,” Felicity finally explained. “But Oliver likes my glasses.” She hadn't meant to tell them that part. Felicity frowned at her now empty wine glass. When had that happened?

“Oliver Queen likes your glasses?” Dare asked.

“Yep,” Felicity told him still frowning...but then she thought about the soft expression on Oliver's face in her office and a smile curved her lips against her will, “Oliver says they make me...me.”

Cross chuckled and Felicity wondered what was funny. Dare stared at her in disbelief. “Exactly how close are you with your boss?”

“Ex-boss,” Felicity corrected, but then she thought about it, “or well re-boss probably next week, but technically ex-boss for the moment.” She canted her head to the side. “Why is that relevant? Oliver's my friend.”

“Oliver Queen is your friend?”

“Why is that relevant?” Felicity repeated.

“You're a slayer,” Dare told her. “Your identity has to be protected. That dumbass spends half his time in the tabloids.”

And what would Oliver Queen know about protecting a secret identity? Felicity burst out laughing. She bumped her head down against the bar and her whole body shook in her seat. She was laughing so hard she actually thought she was crying. But then she realized that no one else was laughing with her. She fought back her chuckles and lifted her head. Cross did look amused at the whole situation, but Dare...well Dare looked very very irritated. Felicity's mouth dropped open. “Oh...you're serious?”

==========


	9. Chapter Eight

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Felicity finds some disturbing information which leads to a slip in front of Team Arrow that may out her secret.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Thanks again for all your feedback! You guys are awesome. I hope you like the new chapter. Team Arrow is going to start putting the pieces together here soon. I'm having so much fun dropping hints and playing with her two secret lives. I will try to respond to your feedback soon. Feel free to send any questions or concerns my way.
> 
> Thanks again!
> 
> Disclaimer: I own NOTHING...except Cross and Dare...

========== 

Massacres...the dates and locations coincided with massacres...

After Dare deposited Felicity's slightly inebriated self home in the early hours of the morning, the blonde had decided a personal sick day was in order. She'd called in to QC and wondered vaguely as she did so if since it was Friday and Oliver could conceivably regain control of the company the following Monday, she might have spent her last day in IT hell. If Felicity knew Oliver, and god knows she did by this point, she had little doubt he had every intention of dragging her back up to her former position as his EA. Felicity couldn't decide if she was irritated or relieved at the prospect. 

Filing that conundrum away in her brain for another time, Felicity grabbed a few hours of sleep. She woke up a little before eight, drank her way through a pot of coffee, and headed off to the lair to check on the progress of her searches. And now...now she was staring at this...

Blinking dumbly, she tried to process the information in front of her. She tried to reconcile the warm caring people she drank and laughed beside the night before with the horrors described in these articles. Bodies torn to pieces, whole families butchered, children...many of the attacks seemed particularly focused on children...they couldn't be a part of this, could they? Surely she would have sensed SOMETHING off about them, right?

But then she'd known Moira Queen...regal matriarch and accomplice to mass murder, and let's not forget Malcolm the bastard Merlyn himself...

Shaking herself out of her daze, Felicity forced herself to be logical. No, this didn't make any sense. Why would the slayers send her to a monster for training? Yes, she knew Dare and Cross were supernatural of some kind, she knew they worked with an organization that she assumed was also supernaturally based, but that didn't make them monsters. There had to be an explanation.

It was the fear that kept drawing her back to her doubts...everything she found connected to this Black Tide was dripping in fear. Who scared the scary?

Her mind wouldn't stop. She had questions and more questions and she knew the answers weren't in those files. The articles were too clean. Nothing officially tied an organization to any of the events. In a few of the occurrences the destruction was even so widespread that Felicity couldn't believe she'd never heard of them before. It reeked of a cover-up. If she wanted the truth she was going to have to dig deeper...and yea...much more illegally...to get it. Something of this scale had to have drawn the attention of the F.B.I. or A.R.G.U.S, but was she really willing to go there? This wasn't Arrow business. She wasn't looking up a drug-runner or a corrupt politician. These people were her mentors and friends. Just how far was she willing to go in breaking their trust instead of just facing them with the information and asking for an explanation?

The nervous energy humming through her had Felicity pushing to her feet before she even realized it. Shedding her jacket and grabbing her bag, she headed for the bathroom. Minutes later she was wearing her new pink and black workout gear and walking toward the mats. She eyed Oliver's training dummies for a moment but decided against it. She couldn't chance breaking anything and having to explain it away later. Instead she started moving through a kata Cross taught her earlier that morning. The movements came back to her easily, her body gliding through the steps with a grace she never thought she'd possess. 

As she channeled her excess energy and anxiety into her movements, Felicity allowed her mind to blank and float away. Instead of looking for monsters and obsessing over her doubts, she focused on the warm feeling of acceptance she felt in Cross and Dare's presence. Her gut and the newly awakened slayer inside of her told Felicity she could trust them. And hadn't she always trusted her gut? Hadn't Cross told her in the early hours of that very morning that she had to trust her instincts? Felicity had never been one to follow the rules or color inside the lines. She followed her heart...even when that organ picked paths that most conventional people would never choose to travel. It was a little late to start doubting herself now.

It was a mark of just how focused she was on that inner turmoil that Felicity didn't even hear them enter. She never heard the electronic locks disengage or Laurel's heels tapping down the stairs. 

“Come on, Ollie,” Laurel's voice echoed from a distance and Felicity froze immediately, “we've always made a great team. You have to let me help you. I can do this!”

Ignoring the implications of whatever the lawyer was pushing for now, Felicity turned her head to the side. Her eyes locked on Oliver...who was standing still and silent at the bottom of the stairs watching her. There was an awareness in his eyes that couldn't lead anywhere good. Felicity gulped and moved to stand in a neutral position. She dropped her arms the her sides and forced a smile. “Hey, I didn't hear you guys get here. I called in today,” she waved a hand, “long story...but anyway I thought I'd get a jump on some searches...and well I had some nervous energy to burn off and...”

“I thought you said you didn't train Felicity,” the suspicion was back in Laurel's voice and Felicity mentally groaned.

“He didn't,” she explained. “Digg taught me a little self-defense after the whole bomb-necklace and Helena thing and then with Slade running around Sara gave me a few tips...”

“BOMB necklace?” Laurel squeaked and Oliver winced at the memory.

Felicity canted her head to the side and eyed the brunette. She really didn't get it, did she? Even after being captured by Slade, Laurel still saw this as some kind of 'Mr. and Mrs. Smith' thing she could act out with Oliver. “It's all fun and games until the Dodger tries to blow off your head.” Oliver winced again and Felicity threw him an apologetic look. “Sorry. You know my mouth runs away from me.”

“You didn't learn that from Digg or Sara,” Oliver pointed out. 

“Personal trainer,” Felicity said.

“In a day?”

Felicity was now very aware of Laurel watching this exchange. The other woman's head turned back and forth between Oliver and Felicity, her eyes taking everything in. “What was that anyway?”

“A kata,” Oliver and Felicity answered together.

“A what?” Laurel questioned.

“Training exercise,” Felicity sighed and moved quickly from the mats back toward her computers. She was counting on Laurel to keep Oliver occupied long enough for her to hide the information she'd been digging through earlier. The lawyer didn't disappoint, quickly jumping in to interrogate Oliver as to why he hadn't taught her a kata and if he could do so now. Still, Felicity could feel Oliver's eyes following her every move. He didn't know what was going on, but he knew now that it was definitely about more than just irritation brought on by Laurel's presence. Dammit, she'd fracked up.

A few hours later the rest of the team had arrived and Felicity felt like she could breathe a little easier. Oliver and Digg were sparring on the mats, Roy was shooting at tennis balls, and Laurel...wonder to end all wonders...had actually left to do some lawyering. It was Felicity and her boys, just how she liked it. 

“Felicity,” Digg called for her attention, “Oliver said you've got a personal trainer.”

A frown of irritation on her face, Felicity looked his way but then she sighed because...ARMS...and found herself smiling. “Yes, I have a personal trainer.”

He sent her a look while he wiped sweat off his shoulders with a towel. “You don't trust me to train you right?”

Felicity glanced at Oliver but he just smiled and crossed his arms over his chest while watching the exchange. Of course they were going to team up on her. One thing the two always agreed on was the issue of her protection. Shaking her head and laughing to herself, Felicity carefully worded her response to Digg. “I thought it might be a good idea to get an outside opinion, John. Both you and Oliver have enough on your plate without adding training me to the mix.”

Digg did not look convinced. “I will make time for you. You're a priority. If you feel like you need to be able to protect yourself...”

“That's not what this is about,” Felicity interrupted him and stood to her feet in front of her station. “I'm not pulling a Lau...” she caught herself and stopped that statement. Taking in a deep breath and blowing it out, the blonde cleared her throat and met Digg's eyes. “I'm basically just trying to get in shape.”

Roy huffed out a laugh at her almost-slip. Felicity glared at him and he turned back to target practice.

“That wasn't a kata for a tea ceremony, Felicity,” Oliver pointed out. “It was kempo if I'm not mistaken.” 

Now Roy was straight out laughing. “Felicity trying to do martial arts is like an accident waiting to happen.” He walked over and placed his bow down on a work table before turning to lean back against it. He didn't want to miss any of this conversation. “Don't get me wrong, Blondie's lethal...but with her tech not with her hot bod.” 

Felicity flushed bright red and Roy winked at her...the bastard. He slowly looked her lycra-covered body up and down. She knew she should have changed back out of the workout clothes.

“You didn't see her earlier,” Oliver said before Felicity could respond to Roy's taunt. He was serious enough about the conversation to ignore a comment that would normally earn Roy a reprimand or a punishing workout. Then his eyes followed the same path Roy's had and Felicity's felt her breath speed up. Yep, she needed to change...like NOW.

“See THIS is why I need another trainer,” Felicity told them in frustration. She motioned between Oliver and Roy. “I only put on some workout clothes and you guys start looking at me like I've sprouted another head!” She gritted her teeth. “I know I'm just a geek girl to you two, but believe it or not there is more to me than what I can pull up on a computer!”

Oliver frowned. “What does that mean? You're not here just because of your computer skills. You're one of us. And if Roy's bothering you...” he turned a sharp glance on the younger man.

Roy's brows shot up and he threw his hands in the air. “Hey, she said you two...and I don't think she meant Digg.” He looked back to Felicity. “I'm just messing with you, Blondie. You know that.” His smile was genuine. “But you can't wear something that skimpy and tight and not expect me to react.”

“You never reacted to Sara.”

Roy snorted. “She was Sara. She would have just flirted back or kicked my ass. Besides, I'm allergic to women with the last night Lance.”

“Felicity,” Digg called her attention back to him, “if these two are the problem then they can leave while I work with you. I don't want to take any chances with your defense training. If you're really serious about this...”

“That wasn't a defense kata,” Oliver interrupted again and Digg threw him an annoyed glare. Oliver shrugged. “You didn't see her.”

Roy frowned. “What'd I miss?”

“I'd like that answer too,” Digg said. He walked closer to her station and eyed her solemnly.“Felicity? Mind showing me what you've learned? We can make Tweedle Dee and Tweedle Dum give us the room.”

Oliver lifted a brow. “I'm not going anywhere.”

“Oliver,” Digg argued but the vigilante shook his head and met his partner's glare head on. “Her safety is my business, John. I'm not going anywhere.”

Knowing how stubborn Oliver could be, Diggle sighed and turned back to Felicity. “Can you show me what you've learned?”

Felicity bit her lip. “I'm busy.” She totally wasn't but Digg didn't know that and she really really hoped he wouldn't push. She wasn't supposed to work out with humans. And okay, maybe she could get away with just doing the kata, but then he'd surely want to show her some moves and then somehow Cross and Dare would know...and then maybe they'd ground her...did slayers get grounded? She bet slayers totally got grounded for breaking slayer rules. Cross and Dare already disapproved of her close relationship to Oliver and his publicity-driven life. Showing off her shiny new slayers moves to Digg had to rank up there as another no-no.

“Doing what?” Roy questioned.

Felicity glared at him. “Gathering intel to keep you three from getting your asses killed.”

“Really?” Roy smirked. “Cause earlier when I was looking over your shoulder you were reading about different types of vampires...Geek Girl.”

Her mouth dropped open and she stared at him stunned. “You...”

Roy smirked and shrugged. “Hey, we all have our thing. I prefer werewolves myself, but whatever. Let me guess...Team Edward?”

“I refuse to answer that on the basis that they were NOT vampires,” Felicity said. “Vampires do not sparkle.”

“And yet you don't deny you read the books,” he shot back.

She frowned. “Those books got trashed unfairly. No, they weren't the great American novel but they were fun to read. Just because the movies were shit, doesn't mean the books were.”

“Roy,” Oliver cut off another undoubtedly smartass comeback with his glare, “target practice...NOW.”

“Felicity,” Digg tried again, “we just want to help. Can you...”

The sound of the electronic locks disengaging filled the air. All three of them turned toward the sound. And there came Gorgeous Laurel walking down the steps with her workout bag slung over her shoulder. Felicity had never been happier to see her. She smiled widely and shrugged at Digg. “Looks like you'll be busy training Laurel. Maybe some other time.”

Oliver actually growled under his breath and stomped off toward the salmon ladder. Digg leaned over Felicity's station and pointed at her. “You can count on it. I'm not dropping this.”

==========


	10. Chapter Nine

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Another night at the lair with Laurel leads to a talk between the two women that might clear the air, but when they catch an unusual attack on camera it causes more problems for Felicity as her two worlds start to collide.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Hey guys! It's been a rough week. My dog was lost and I spent two days pretty much a wreck thinking I would never find her. Thankfully she's home safe and sound, but it did cut into my writing time and pushed back this update. 
> 
> Thanks again to everyone who commented! You guys keep me going and really brighten my days. I love to hear what you think and what parts you like. I drop little hints through my stories and I'm always tickled when someone comments on something that I've hidden. Hope you enjoy the new chapter!
> 
> Disclaimer: I own NOTHING...except Cross and Dare...

========== 

It warmed Felicity's heart to know the guys had her back...to know they would never discuss her personal 'Team Arrow' issues in front of Laurel. It reassured her once again that she was an important and appreciated member of the team and Laurel would never take her place. It was also a stay of execution and she was more than happy to take advantage of it. So when Oliver tried to hint that it was time for Laurel to take off...Felicity might have offered to let Laurel help her on comms. The matching looks of disbelief on John and Roy's faces...the fury on Oliver's....well...yeah she totally knew she was going to pay for that later. But now her boys were out making the rounds and she was sitting in the lair...with Laurel...and she had no one to blame but herself.

“I think we got off on the wrong foot,” Laurel said filling the silence.

Felicity snorted. She was flipping through different camera views looking for activity to feed to her team. “This just occurred to you?”

“I think...” Laurel spoke carefully, “I think there's more than enough room on this team for two women.”

“Definitely,” Felicity agreed, “I had no problem working with Sara.” She noticed Laurel stiffen at the reminder and mentally sighed. She was so over the Lance family drama. Not that she didn't get it. She totally got it. She personally didn't know if she'd ever forgive Sara in Laurel's shoes. You were always supposed to forgive family but...it was a lot. There were lines...many many thick lines that Sara crossed. And that didn't even touch Oliver. The fact that Laurel had forgiven Oliver frankly baffled Felicity, but it wasn't her place to judge. 

“I'm glad you two are friends,” Laurel said.

Felicity rolled her eyes. “No, you're not.” She looked briefly at the other woman. “But that's not the real problem Laurel.”

“And what is the problem?” 

Felicity could hear the building tension in the lawyer's voice. Laurel didn't like when she couldn't control a conversation. “The problem is that you don't like me, Laurel, and you never have.”

“I don't...”

“I got it in the beginning,” Felicity added quickly. She kept her eyes averted and focused on her monitors. “You thought I was another girl hanging on Oliver's every word. You were in a bad place. You were confused and hurting and getting pulled back toward Oliver against your best intentions. You two were having a moment and then there I was...interrupting and female...and we both know that anything female around Oliver can lead to very bad stupid things.”

She threw Laurel a sympathetic look. “Trust me. I get it. Be thankful you missed Russia...most fun you can have without having any.”

Laurel stared at her stunned. “I don't know what to say.”

Felicity shrugged. “Like I said, I got it in the beginning. Now? Not so much.” She stopped what she was doing for a moment and spun to face Laurel. “You know now Laurel. You know I'm not some bimbo trying to ride Oliver to the top,” she paused and canted her head to the side, “and yes, I meant that literally.” She met the other woman's eyes dead on. “I'm an IT genius. I'm a part of his team. I'm one of his partners. And if this is about romantic entanglements? Oliver made it very clear a long time ago that he has no interest in me.”

Now Laurel rolled her eyes. “Sure he did.”

“He did, Laurel,” Felicity told her. She thought about dropping it. She didn't owe the other woman anything, but Felicity knew that if someone didn't make a gesture this thing between her and Laurel was never going to go away. And Laurel had no reason to dislike her. The whole thing was ridiculous. So Felicity decided to take a chance. She opened herself up a little and let the brunette see inside her mushy center. It SO wasn't fun, but Felicity was determined to be the bigger person here. 

Taking a deep breath, she tried to smile but she knew it came out sad. “Of course, I'm attracted to Oliver...I'm breathing. But he does not, nor has he ever seen me that way Laurel, and I have no desire to humiliate myself running around after him...nor am I willing to compromise our partnership in a bitch-fit just because he's out of my league.”

Laurel frowned and leaned toward the blonde. “Oliver is not out of your league.”

Felicity laughed. “Yes, yes he is. He's ridiculously out of my league, Laurel. We're not talking majors and minors here...we're talking major league and TEE BALL! The man is a billionaire playboy who dates supermodels and ninjas and YOU...and I am a nerdy geek girl from Vegas.”

She shook her head. “My idea of a hot date is with my DVR. The guys don't even consider the idea that I'm female...much less dateable. I'm their surrogate geeky awkward sister...” she smiled but this time it was genuine, “and their badass tech support.”

“You actually believe that, don't you?” Laurel was stunned.

Felicity took off her brand new Clark Kent glasses she'd picked up a few hours before and rubbed her eyes. She refused to humiliate herself running around after uninterested Oliver, but apparently she was going to in an effort to make peace with this genuinely good if deeply ANNOYING woman. 

Felicity pursed her lips. “Oliver did flirt with me a little bit in the beginning.” That got the woman's attention. Felicity smirked. “He didn't really know me and he thought charm and a cute smile would help him get me past the truly spectacular amount of bullshit he was offering up trying to get my help. His cover stories were INSULTINGLY bad.” She couldn't help chuckling at the memory of sports bottles and syringes. “By a certain point he stopped even trying. I knew he was full of shit. He knew I knew he was full of shit. Poor John had to stand there and pretend he wasn't watching a train wreck...”

“So what changed?” Laurel asked curiously.

“He brought me in,” Felicity told her. “It's a long story that involves a gunshot wound and him dying three times on the med table.” She waved her hand at Laurel's wide-eyed stare. “Some other time. Not relevant right now. The point is? Once I knew who he really was, once I agreed to help them, Oliver dropped the bullshit and the flirting stopped.” She leaned toward the brunette. “Because it wasn't real. And Oliver and I? No matter what else we are or never will be...we are real.”

Laurel huffed a laugh. “That I don't doubt.”

Felicity shrugged and pushed on. “I developed feelings for him at one point.” She considered her words. “It wasn't a crush. I know him too well for that.” She thought back to that time...shortly after he'd returned, working so closely with him both at QC and in their night job. “Things came to a head after an incident in Russia that I will spare you the telling of,” she shook her head, “and Oliver decided to let me down easy. He told me that with the life he led it was better if he didn't get involved with anyone he could really care about.”

Groaning Laurel shook her head. “That's so Oliver...”

“He was sleeping with Sara a few weeks later,” Felicity added. Laurel fell silent, but her eyes filled with understanding. “I think we can both agree that he more than just CARES about Sara.” The blonde smirked. “Like I said Oliver doesn't see me that way. He let me down easy. He didn't want to lose me for the team, as his partner, or as his friend. And I don't blame him. I'm a big girl. I dealt with it and I moved on.”

Laurel frowned. “But Slade said...”

Felicity groaned. FINALLY! THIS was what it all boiled down to. “It was a play, Laurel. We played Slade.” She smiled at the brunette. “We knew Slade was determined to make Oliver choose and kill another woman he loved. It was obvious he would go after you because you're Gorgeous Laurel...Oliver's epic love. But he couldn't get his hands on Sara and he'd be too suspicious of her if he did. We needed to give him another option...someone he would never suspect could bring him down.” She swung her blonde ponytail from side to side. “Oliver took me to the mansion. He fed Slade a story about his secret hidden love, and slipped me a syringe full of the cure.” She smiled again widely. “And the nerdy geeky awkward surrogate sister got to be the super hero for once.”

Laurel sighed, leaned back in her chair, and crossed her arms over her chest. “Dammit, Sara's right...you are kinda awesome.” The lawyer closed her eyes and drew her lips into a hard line. “And Oliver is SUCH an asshole.”

Felicity laughed. “So say we all.” She tilted her head to the side and shrugged. “But he's also a hero...and a really good man.”

After a few minutes of less-awkward silence, Laurel cleared her throat. “Okay, so...what can I do to help?” She looked at Felicity doubtfully. “Can I actually help?”

Felicity snickered. “Yes, Laurel, you can help.” She turned back to her babies with a smug grin “You can't do my job...but you can help.” She typed a few commands in and watched her right monitor as a window opened showing a camera feed. She motioned Laurel forward. “We're looking for any activity that Oliver and Roy can break up. You hit this button to flip between camera feeds and tap the comm in your ear to turn it on and relay the information to the team.”

Laurel eyed the monitor in awe. She hit the tab button and watched it swap to the next feed. “Are these street cameras around Starling?”

“Surveillance, traffic cams, ATMs...” Felicity explained.

“How?” The brunette asked.

“I'm that good,” Felicity answered with another grin.

“Apparently you are,” Laurel agreed. She grinned back at Felicity but then her eyebrows notched up. “But don't think I didn't notice you were using me earlier as an Ollie deflector. It's not going to work. Whatever you're hiding from him...he will figure it out.”

“All of this has happened before and will happen again,” Felicity agreed, “but that doesn't mean I'm going to make it easy for him.”

Laurel nodded as she turned back to the monitor. “You need any help giving him the runaround just let me know. He deserves it.”

Felicity opened her mouth to reply but Oliver's voice through the speakers cut her off. “Talk to me Felicity.” He sounded tense and irritated...not an unusual mindset for him under the hood and on a slow night.

Laurel rolled her eyes hard and shook her head. Felicity frowned at her confused before reaching up to tap her comm. “Nothing yet on our end. We're looking now.”

“We stopped a mugging on 9th and Washington,” Roy said.

Felicity frowned. “Why didn't we hear it? Why didn't you report in?” She immediately started pulling up the correct area and dialed in a tip to Lance to get the muggers picked up.

No reply from Oliver, but Roy cleared his throat. “Sorry, happened quick. Our comms were still muted.”

“You know I hate it when you do that,” Felicity complained.

“Sorry Mom,” Roy drawled.

“Felicity,” Laurel called for her attention and pointed to the monitor, “I think I've got something.” Both women watched as what at first appeared to be a lovers' embrace turned into a struggle. The strange part was that the male was attempting to push away from the female...and she was substantially smaller than him. He continued to struggle while the female hovered around his neck. “What exactly are we watching?” Laurel wondered.

“Relay it,” Felicity ordered. She motioned for Laurel to turn on her comm and brief the team. 

Laurel reached up and hit her comm. “Oliver, we've got an attack of some kind two blocks over from your current location.”

Felicity sighed when no one replied. “You need to push harder to turn the comm on and try again.” She continued watching the monitor. Her stomach churned and flipped as the female figure pulled the male in close before finally pushing him away. “And use codenames...Arrow and Arsenal.” She knew she should be pushing to get Oliver and Roy there...but something told her they needed to stay away. Something told her this wasn't their jurisdiction...that as of a few days ago it was hers.

Laurel fixed her comm and relayed the intel again. Felicity kept her eyes glued to the feed until Oliver and Roy's figures appeared and moved toward the victim. Oliver bent over and examined the man. He hit his comm. “He's dead...some kind of attack to the throat. There's blood here, but not enough for this kind of wound. His jugular was ripped open. Blood should be everywhere.”

“What about his mouth?” Felicity asked before she thought better of it.

There was a long pause and Oliver and Roy shared a look. Then Oliver appeared to examine the victim again. “Blood on his mouth.” His voice was dark and gruff. “Something you need to tell me?”

Felicity shook herself. She realized Laurel was staring at her wide-eyed again. She swallowed hard and spit out a reply. “No...I just...I thought I saw something.” She watched as Oliver stood stiffly and stepped away from the body. His figure practically vibrated with anger. “We're heading back. Call it in.”

“I've got it,” Laurel volunteered. She removed the comm from her ear and sat it on the desk before pulling out her cell and dialing her dad. As she waited for his reply she eyed Felicity with more sympathy than the blonde could ever remember her showing. She stood to her feet and stepped away for some privacy as Lance answered the call.

Felicity rewound the feed and copied the footage to show the attack she and Laurel had witnessed. She considered deleting the evidence, but quickly discarded the idea. Oliver would know she was responsible. 

Turning off and putting away the comms, Felicity grabbed her cell and made sure Laurel was still out of earshot. She quickly dialed the most recent contact added to her favorites list. The call connected and she sighed. “Hey, it's me. Looks like the cockroaches finally decided to show up...and we might have a trip to the graveyard in our future.”

==========


	11. Chapter Ten

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Team Arrow tries to make sense of this strange new attack, but is Felicity actually the only one 'in the know' about all things supernatural?

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Wow! I'm thrilled with everyone's response to the last chapter. I'm glad you all liked it. Thank you so much for all the great feedback! It helped me churn out this next chapter pretty quick even on my work week...lol I will be responding to everyone's comments hopefully some time today. Thanks again!
> 
> I had SUCH a good time writing this chapter. Things are really heating up in a couple different areas now. I hope everything makes sense and flows well. I would really love to know what you guys think. If you have any questions or concerns please send them my way. Hope you enjoy!
> 
> Disclaimer: I own NOTHING...except Cross and Dare...

========== 

By the time Oliver and Roy came stomping down the stairs Felicity had the feed ready to show them. Digg was still in route. She'd called him at home and told him they might need him. Laurel headed out to meet up with her dad and the SCPD. The lawyer had paused and squeezed Felicity's shoulder in what the blonde could only call solidarity before she left...as fast as her heels could carry her. 

Oliver stopped in front of her station and stared. The hood was still up. She couldn't see his eyes, but the tension in his stance was more than just frustration at missing the attacker. It was more than guilt at the loss of life. Felicity's stomach fell.

“I'm...uh...gonna change,” Roy told them. He headed to the back.

Felicity refused to bow under his stare. She pursed her lips. “So...I have the feed ready for when Digg gets here. You should probably get changed too.”

He pushed back the hood and removed his mask. He stepped closer to her station. “You're hiding something, Felicity.” He waited for her to meet his gaze. She saw the expected anger there, but also fear...and shame? “I can't protect you if I don't know what's going on.”

Felicity frowned as tried to get a read on his mood. This was about more than her training, more than her slip while he examined the victim. She was missing a piece of the puzzle. Still, he waited on an answer. “Maybe for once I don't need to be protected.”

“Keeping you safe is my job, Felicity.”

“No Oliver,” she huffed in irritation, “saving the city is your job.” She narrowed her eyes on his face...that damn beautiful tortured face that she couldn't seem to kick out of her heart no matter how hard she tried. What new weight was he carrying around now? “I'm tired of you seeing me as this guilty weakness that you have to keep locked up in the lair. You still think this life is something you've DONE to me...that you've drug me into something dangerous that's going to end up getting me killed.” She poked her finger into his chest. “That's bullshit! I signed on for this life. I CHOSE it,” she told him with force, “and you couldn't get me to walk away now if you tried.” She stood up and faced him. “This isn't about you anymore, Oliver. This is MY life. When are you going to understand that?”

Oliver yanked off his gloves and ran his hand over his face. Felicity rolled her eyes unimpressed. “If everything fell apart tomorrow and I couldn't work with you anymore, Oliver, I'd still keep working with Digg and Roy.” His eyes widened in surprise and she thought finally he might be getting a clue. “And if I couldn't work with them, I'd be looking for another team or another fight to join.” She reached out and poked his leather-clad chest again. “This is my LIFE! It's what I WANT to do. You don't have a say in the matter. Capiche?”

Oliver looked thoughtful and Felicity hoped she might have actually gotten something through that thick skull for once. “I did bring you into this, Felicity.” But he sounded less guilty than was his norm.

“I'd been looking for this all my life.” Felicity told him honestly. She thought back to that scared eleven-year-old the watchers had found. She'd refused to join their war but she'd never forgotten. Something was always always missing and she'd searched for years trying to fill that hole. The search had led her to mistakes like Cooper and super-viruses, but it had also led her here...to Oliver...to saving their city and watching him heal and become the hero she'd known he could be. Felicity realized now that she was never meant for normal. She was always meant for more. “Oliver, you just opened the door.”

With that thought finished a silence fell. It was charged and the air felt heavy with something Felicity's genius brain refused to calculate. She snapped back to awareness and realized Oliver was now leaning over her station...very very close. His stare was intense...those deep blue eyes locked on and searching hers. She thought she saw the corner of his lips tick up for a moment, but it was gone before she could focus. Holy mother of Google he looked good in his leathers. She was pretty sure she was rocking the 'deer-in-headlights' look. It was everything she could do not to open her mouth and just let the babbling vomit forth in an epic and humiliating display of awkward. What the actual hell?

“You've never been a weakness.” Oliver finally spoke but still he didn't back off. Apparently he had decided 'personal space' was a no good overrated concept. His eyes flickered down and NO, there was NO WAY they landed on her mouth before locking back on her eyes. “You're my strength and I can't do this without you. I don't want to try.”

Felicity might have gulped and taken a large step backward...and that looked really natural if the flash of amusement in Oliver's eyes was anything to go by. “Awesomeness! Not gonna be a problem. I'm not going anywhere.”

The sound of the electronic locks disengaging coincided with the sound of footsteps as Roy walked up wearing his signature hoodie. Felicity wondered, not for the first time, exactly how often he washed that thing. But Oliver...well Oliver was still staring at her. Felicity threw him a shaky and awkward (cause that's how she rolled) smile. His lips ticked.

Digg came down the stairs. “What've we got?”

Oliver stepped back. “I'm gonna change.” He walked off without further comment. John watched him disappear confused.

Felicity shrugged and stepped back to her station. She typed in a few commands to pull up the feed.

Roy chuckled and shook his head. “Dude, you are so lucky you skipped out on tonight. Oliver's manpain is killing me.” He walked around behind Felicity's station. “Oh and he's officially a dumbass loser with no game. I don't know how you haven't gone into a 'hulk rage' on his ass if you've been watching this shit go down for the last two years.”

“Self-restraint is my superpower,” Digg's voice was dry.

“Yea, well I could be Gandhi's grandkid and still want to knock some sense into our fearless leader,” Roy said.

Felicity canted her head to the side and looked at him in shock. “You know who Gandhi is?”

Roy looked deeply insulted but then he noticed the sparkle in her eye. He knocked his shoulder against her with a huff. “Shut up, Blondie.”

John shook his head at their antics and walked over to join them. “So, what did I miss?”

========== 

“Okay...what exactly are we watching here?” Digg's voice was strangled. They'd watched the vid five times. Felicity fought the urge to tell them it wasn't going to change with another viewing or twenty. She knew they were trying to make sense of what they'd seen...of the condition of the victim, the size of the attacker, the absence of blood. Oliver had been strangely silent. Roy just kept hitting the play button again and again.

“I can tell you what it looks like but that shit ain't real,” Roy muttered.

“You'd be surprised,” Oliver said. Felicity stiffened and turned her head to look at him. He was staring back at her. “Weren't you researching vampires earlier?”

Felicity's jaw dropped. “I was...yea.....but...”

“Oliver, vampires aren't real,” Digg tried to sound confident but failed.

“I saw a lot of strange things in my time away.” And still his eyes never left her.

Okay SEROIUSLY? There were VAMPIRES on that damn island? Felicity blinked and fought the urge to scream. She did NOT need this right now! How was she supposed to keep her slayer life separate? How was she supposed to keep them safe if Oliver already knew about the supernatural? She'd thought they'd explain away what they'd seen...a new drug with strange side-effects, crazy camera angles distorting their view of what actually happened...anything but fracking vampires!

“Vampires are real?!?” John was not handling this well at all. Was he shaking?

Roy eyed their partner. “Uh Digg? Maybe you should sit down.”

Digg just glared at him. He took a step toward Oliver. “You knew that vampires were real and you never bothered to mention it to me?”

“They've never been an issue in Starling,” Oliver answered. He stepped forward and grabbed John by the shoulder. He pushed him over and into an empty chair. Once the large black man sat back and started taking in deep breaths Oliver let him go. “I've been stalking the streets for the last two years. I've never come across one before tonight.”

“Technically you didn't come across one tonight,” Felicity reminded him, “she got away.” He cut his eyes back in her direction and the blonde gulped and looked back at her monitors. “Which is probably a good thing because those arrows you guys are sporting aren't wood and you don't shoot to kill.”

“Exactly how much do you know about vampires, Blondie?” Roy drawled.

Felicity stiffened again...frack! “I thought the wood to the heart thing was pretty standard?”

“Felicity...” Oliver's voice was a dark growl that she both hated and liked way too much.

“I'm a geek,” Felicity babbled desperately, “I watch supernatural movies and I read like everything I can get my hands on. Vampires are hot!” She made a face as the words left her mouth because the slayer in her revolted at the very idea. Vampires were blood-sucking fiends from beyond the grave. They were NOT hot...and also technically they were room temperature because you know...dead. Great Godric she was suddenly realizing she was a total know-it-all. She was the Hermione of Team Arrow! She cocked her head to the side. “I always liked Hermione.”

“And I think we've lost her,” Roy said.

“How did we go from vampires are hot to Hermione?” John wondered.

“Vampires are hot, there are vampires in Harry Potter, Hermione probably knows lots about vampires, I always liked Hermione?” Roy guessed. “Blondie's mind is a scary place.”

Felicity looked back to glare at him. “Frack you!”

“Felicity,” Oliver leaned down over her shoulder, his voice so low and husky it sounded like a purr, “why do you know so much about vampires?”

His breath tickled her ear and the IT genius shivered and tried to make her brain work and focus on something other than 'Oliver close, Oliver hot, want Oliver BAD'.

“Oliver,” there was a warning in John's voice, “how about you give Felicity some space and fill us in on what YOU know about vampires.”

Moving back reluctantly, the vigilante sighed. “Felicity's right. Fighting one unprepared will get you killed...and we were not prepared.”

Roy snorted. “True that.”

Shooting the younger man an irritated look, he continued. “Most of the common myths apply. They have superhuman strength, acute senses, and speed. They can be killed by wood to the heart, beheading, fire, and sunlight. They're susceptible to crosses and holy water.”

Technically he was only describing Possessed vampires, but Felicity bit her tongue before she could jump in with that information.

“What about turning into bats?” Roy asked.

“Not that I know of,” Oliver said, “but I'm no expert. My information came from a hunter I crossed paths with a few years ago.”

“On the island?” Digg wondered.

“No,” Oliver answered but didn't elaborate. Unconsciously he started rubbing his thumb and pointer finger together...one of his tells. He tightened his jaw obviously lost in the memory. “He saved my life one night...kept me from walking into a nest. I wouldn't have stood a chance.”

Digg leaned forward and rested his elbows on his knees. He still looked gobsmacked, but he was trying to push through. “So you've faced these things before?”

“Not really,” Oliver answered honestly as he started to pace back and forth. “I watched him kill one but he didn't go after the nest. He called it in to an organization that deals with supernatural threats. He said they'd clear it out.”

“What organization?” “Do you know how to reach him?” Felicity and Digg spoke at the same time.

Oliver stopped in his tracks. He looked to Felicity, not Diggle. She met his stare as calmly as she could. Her breath caught in her throat and her stomach flipped. 

“Man, if one of these things is in Starling it's gonna be a problem,” Roy said drawing back their attention.

“ONE isn't the problem,” Felicity drug her eyes away from Oliver to look at Roy. “Where there's one...”

“They'll be more,” Oliver finished. “They kill and make others. They're an infestation.”

“Fabulous,” Roy paled. He moved to lean against a table as the ramifications of the situation seemed to sink in. “And you know if they're going to hit anywhere...”

“It'll be the Glades,” Felicity confirmed biting her lip. “Areas with higher crime rates so the missing are overlooked and the victims get dismissed as random violence.” She paused thoughtfully. “Well and the club scene...people plus alcohol equals dinner for these things.”

Now Oliver, Digg, and Roy were all staring at her. And, of course, it was Oliver who spoke up. “How do you know so much about vampires, Felicity?” he repeated his earlier question.

“I...” she blinked and tried to think. She could feel her chest tighten and her throat try to close up. She hated lying to them but she was trying to protect them. Or was she trying to protect herself? Felicity honestly didn't know anymore. “I've been researching them.” That, at least, was the truth.

“Why?” Oliver asked.

Recognizing her distress, Digg came to her rescue. “I said give her some space, Oliver. We can deal with that later.” He pulled himself back to a standing position and faced the vigilante. “You didn't answer my question. Do you know how to reach this hunter? Because if you're right and we've got these things in our city, we're going to need help.”

Running his hands over his head in frustration, Oliver sighed. “It's been years, John. I had his phone number at one time, but that's long gone. We can try to look him up...”

“Or Lyla can,” Digg suggested. “She can use her resources at A.R.G.U.S. If this guy's connected to a covert organization they probably know about it.” He was already pulling his phone out of his pocket. He hit the speed dial for his wife and looked back to Oliver. “You got a full name?”

“Yes,” Oliver answered somewhat reluctantly, “his name's Riley Finn.”

Pursing her lips, Felicity turned back to her station. “I'll set up some searches on our end before I leave for the night in case anything pops up.”

Roy jogged toward the stairs. “I'm heading to Verdant. I want to keep an eye on Thea.” He paused on the bottom step and met Oliver's eyes. “Don't suppose you have any wooden arrows stashed around here?”

“Already putting in a rush order,” Felicity answered instead. Roy nodded and continued on his way.

Thirty minutes later, Felicity had as many searches running as she could think of for one Riley Finn. She'd also compiled a wealth of information on Possessed vampires in case they needed it. Satisfied that she'd fulfilled her duties for the night, the blonde grabbed her bag, slid back her chair, and pushed to her feet. She turned and ran straight into Oliver... “What...”

“Where are you going?”

Felicity forced a smile and tried to pretend butterflies weren't playing pvp in her stomach. “I'm done for the night.” 

The tightening of his eyes told her he didn't miss her evasion. “I'll walk you out.” His voice sounded perfectly polite and sincere...but that look in his eyes...

“That's not necessary,” Felicity said.

He lifted one brow. “We just found out there are vampires running around Starling, Felicity.”

“And you aren't prepared to face them,” Felicity winced and threw her hands up before Oliver could react to her statement. “That came out TOTALLY wrong. I know you're capable,” she motioned up and down his toned and deeply impressive physique covered in a fitted henley and jeans, “obviously you are very very capable...” she lost her train of thought as she appreciated that body and exactly how close it was to hers, “capable of doing many impressive things...”

A small smile curved Oliver's lips. “I'm walking you out, Felicity.”

She sighed and shrugged. “Okay.” She turned and headed for the stairs with Oliver behind her. At first Felicity was hyper-aware of his every move, but as soon as she stepped through the door and outside the predator inside of her awoke and studied her surroundings. Oliver was dismissed as a non-threat. The slayer scanned the darkness as she walked and reached out with her senses. Feeling nothing within range to concern her, Felicity finally relaxed as she reached the door to her mini and turned to Oliver with a smile.

The smile slipped as he stepped close and gently reached around her to open the car door. He paused and looked deeply into her eyes, his expression sad. “I wish you would tell me what's going on with you, Felicity. I wish you could trust me...but I understand why you don't.”

“I do trust you, Oliver,” Felicity told him sincerely. “This isn't about trust.” She frowned and looked down at his chest. Her hand lifted seemingly without her permission to rest above his heart. “I just...I need some time. I can't...”

“Okay,” he cut off her struggle for the right words. He lifted one hand and gently stroked her cheek. “But I'm here when you're ready.”

Felicity did not understand what was going on tonight. It was like she'd tumbled down the rabbit hole or flown past the second star to the right. As Oliver ran his thumb over her cheek again, Felicity's brain kept spitting out smoke and a paper that said 'this does not compute'. This logic was NOT Earth logic...

“You're wrong, by the way,” Oliver's voice was low and husky...and Felicity tried to push past the buzzing in her brain and the pounding of her heart to understand what the ever loving hell he was talking about...because huh?

“About what?” she asked.

Oliver's lips curled up at the corners but his eyes were still sad. “I'm not out of your league, Felicity,” he pushed a strand of hair off her cheek and curled it behind her ear, “but you are definitely out of mine.” Stepping back, he dropped his hand and turned to walk back toward the entrance to the lair.

Felicity froze as realization dawned like a bucket of ice-water being poured over her head. She gasped in shock and mortification...in FURY at her betrayal by the universe....because...because... “My comm was off!”

Oliver paused and looked back over his shoulder. “Laurel's wasn't.” He kept walking.

“DAMN THAT WOMAN!” Felicity growled and stomped her feet. Then she scrambled into her mini. She needed to be away...very very far away!

==========


	12. Chapter Eleven

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Felicity and Cross have a heart to heart about humans and the supernatural world. Felicity struggles with what to tell her team and how they will react once the truth is out.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Thanks again for all the feedback guys! You keep me inspired. I'll try to respond to everyone I haven't gotten to yet at some point today. I'm in the middle of my work week so my schedule is kinda wonky. This chapter is sort of transitional, but I think it is important. Felicity is starting to realize her life is changing for good...this isn't just a temporary phase she can hide and keep from her team. Also it's time for her to start delving more into the slaying portion of her new destiny and not just fighting and defense. I'm having a blast exploring the story as things continue to escalate. Hope you enjoy the ride! You guys rock!
> 
> Disclaimer: I own NOTHING...except Cross, Dare, and Case

========== 

To say Felicity was still frazzled as she made her way into The Bronze and toward the bar was putting it lightly. Somehow sensing her approach, Cross looked up from where she was talking to the massive bartender standing beside her and nodded in the blonde's direction. Felicity lifted her brows and looked to the stranger. He had a shaved head, olive skin, a wide toothy smile, and he was HUGE...like she only thought Digg and Oliver were huge but then she saw this guy. He looked like he snacked on lumberjacks. Felicity gaped at him...that only made him smile wider. She could not handle this tonight. She shook herself and jerked her eyes back to Cross. Motioning to the back, Felicity headed that way. By the time Cross had joined her, Felicity was already in the bathroom/changing room and pulling out her workout clothes.

Cross leaned back against the counter with a smile and silently lifted one brow. Felicity jerked off her top and reached behind her to unhook her bra. She cocked her head to the side and met Cross's eyes. “That Barry White?”

Cross laughed out loud. She nodded. “That's Case.”

Felicity rolled her eyes. She pulled on her sports bra. “Figures.” At Cross's questioning expression she sighed. “He looks like his voice would be deep and scratchy...you know, from eating Paul Bunyan for lunch.”

Cross's shoulders shook as she laughed again. “I'll be sure to pass on your appreciation.”

Felicity winced and rubbed her aching eyes with her fingers. The stress headache she'd felt coming on for near an hour was finally making an appearance. “Sorry...crazy night. Pretty sure my hard drive is fried.”

“It's all good,” Cross said. “You wanna talk about it?” One of the beautiful things about Cross was that she didn't push. She listened and she had this way of looking at Felicity that made the blonde want to tell her all her deepest darkest secrets even without prompting, but she always let Felicity make the decision. Cross had this way of making herself feel like a safe place...a non-judgmental harbor in the storm. She was quickly becoming one of Felicity's best friends.

“Later?” Felicity asked. Cross nodded and Felicity released the breath she didn't know she'd been holding. She finished pulling on her workout pants. “So...I don't suppose you want to tell me what Case actually is?” Cause HUGE!

Cross smiled. “Case is human, Felicity...for now anyway.”

The IT genius looked sharply at the other woman. “What do you mean 'for now'?”

Cross shrugged. “You survive in our line of work for long enough and...” she paused to consider her wording, “things tend to happen to you.”

“Explain,” Felicity said. She leaned back against the counter next to her friend.

Cross met her eyes calmly. “It's the universe's way of evening out the scales. If a human chooses this life, if they become champions against the darkness, then sooner or later something usually happens to make them not-so-human anymore.” She smiled but her eyes were shadowed. “An average human can only survive for so long fighting against the things we fight. It isn't fair and it throws off the balance. The universe's answer to that imbalance is for something to give the human an edge...a way to survive.”

Felicity tried to assimilate what she was hearing. “Like?”

“Like maybe your family were secretly hereditary witches,” Cross said for example. She cocked her head to the side. “Maybe you get hit by a spell that turns you into a mutant or a half-demon. Maybe you drink the wrong drink one night at a club and end up a vampire.” She paused for emphasis and her dark eyes glowed with meaning as they locked on Felicity's. “Maybe some long dormant gene activates and you wake up one morning as a slayer.”

Felicity froze, her heart in her throat. “You think that's what happened to me?”

Cross shrugged. “I think something supernatural is happening in Starling City,” she told the blonde honestly. “Something is coming and you couldn't afford to NOT be a slayer anymore.”

That ominous statement had more implications than Felicity thought she could handle at the moment. She'd written off her slayer activation as a fluke. The possibility of it being more than that...part of some greater plan, some actual destiny...she couldn't go there. If she stopped to think about the ramifications of spending the rest of her life as an active slayer...of what that would mean for her life, for her team... 

“Fabulous,” Felicity said weakly as panic tried to set in, “cause my life was boring before.” She saw Cross's expression turn curious and waved the other woman off. “Not right now. Right now I'm trying to stave off a massive panic attack. Right now...I need to keep moving so I don't curl up in the fetal position in the corner.” She took in a deep breath and blew it out. “So Case is human? And he's a part of your organization too?”

“Former covert ops,” Cross said. At Felicity's confused expression...because wasn't covert ops what their organization was?...Cross explained. “We aren't exactly sanctioned by the government.” She didn't elaborate, instead turning the conversation back to her boyfriend. “Case was a troublemaker in his youth. He pulled one too many dumbass stunts and got himself blackmailed into working for a secret government agent as a pawn. He was sent on what amounted to a suicide mission, but against all odds he survived and managed to complete the op. Turns out Case is much more capable than anyone could have anticipated.”

“He found his niche,” Felicity realized.

Cross nodded. “Case had been looking for something. He needed something...a purpose.”

Felicity huffed a laugh. “He wasn't meant for normal.”

“No he wasn't,” Cross agreed.

“And the supernatural aspect?” Felicity wondered. She knew she was being hypocritical asking for so much of Case's history considering she was still keeping many secrets of her own, but she couldn't seem to stop herself. She had to know. Information was Felicity's happy place. The more she knew, the more she understood, the better she could handle the crazy that her life was quickly becoming.

“He tried to save a teenage girl from what he thought was a rapist,” Cross said. “Attacker was a Possessed vamp, girl was a slayer...and it was in an alley outside of one of my clubs.” She smiled at the memory. “Big bad motherfucker and he almost pissed himself when he saw those yellow eyes and fangs.” She rocked her body weight back on her hands against the counter. “Once Case knew about the supernatural, and that a group of high school kids were holding them off in that town and essentially saving the world, he signed up to join the fight. He couldn't walk away.”

Felicity groaned and buried her head in her hands. The story reminded her entirely too much of the group of vigilantes she worked with on a nightly basis. What were the odds that Oliver and company would keep their noses out of the supernatural once they located the hunter and fully understood the escalating situation in Starling? Even worse, what if they found out about her and her newfound destiny? “Dammit, what is it with me and heroes?”

Cross smirked. “Sorry to break it to you, Sweetie, but it's kinda written in your DNA.”

==========

Half an hour later Felicity had worked through a good portion of her frustration via controlled violence. Maybe Oliver had the right idea after all. She laughed at the thought. Catching the curiosity on Cross's face again, Felicity sighed. “My friends are getting suspicious and they aren't the type to back off and let things ride. I don't know what to do.”

Cross nodded. She dropped her ready stance facing the slayer and relaxed. “And you don't want what happened with Case to happen to them. You don't want to pull them into your crap.”

Felicity threw her head back and groaned. She rubbed at her face. “It's a little more complicated than that, but yes.” She stared at the ceiling and tried to explain. “Oliver and Digg and I...we're more than just friends. We're practically family at this point.” She looked back at Cross. “We're a team...and keeping secrets from each other doesn't tend to work out well.”

Cross tilted her head to the side. “Historically speaking, slayers were told to cut ties with their friends and family. It was safer for everyone involved. Family was a weakness that could be exploited.”

Felicity felt a surge of anger at the very idea. She bared her teeth at the brunette. “If you think I'm walking away from my team...”

Cross just smiled. “Historically speaking slayers died before their eighteenth birthday Sweetie. I never said I agreed with the tradition.” Stepping backward, the brunette leaned against a pillar and crossed her arms over her chest. “I've never been a believer in cutting ties with your humanity. What's the point of surviving if you don't live? What's to keep you from falling to the darkness if you never spend any time in the light?”

Her anger deflated, Felicity smiled despite herself. “Poetic.” She walked across the training mat and toward the side table holding their water bottles. She picked hers up and took a swallow.

Cross shrugged her expression serious. “I have my moments.” She stared straight ahead, her eyes shadowed with old pain. “You will lose people, Felicity. It's a part of this life you can't escape. I choose to hold on as long and as hard as I can. I will not regret wasting the time I have with the people I love.”

Felicity nodded. “Walking away from them was never an option. I just don't know how to protect them.”

“Forewarned is forearmed,” Cross smirked. “Cliche but true.”

“UGH!” Felicity shook her head. “You do not know of what you speak.”

Cross's expression said otherwise. “This isn't a temporary situation, Felicity. It's your life now. It's not going away.” She stepped away from the wall and back to face the slayer. “Put yourself in their shoes. If one of them had this secret would you want to know?”

“Yes,” Felicity growled, “but my solution would be to look up everything I could about the supernatural and help prepare them for what they had to face...NOT to throw myself in front of them and face the vampires myself!”

Cross froze, then she chuckled. Felicity stared at her confused. She waved a hand. “I'm just imagining billionaire playboy Oliver Queen trying to take down a vamp. I'm gonna need that on video.”

Felicity rolled her eyes so hard they almost hurt. WHY was this her life now? 

“Oh, and if you do spill your guts,” Cross said, “you're gonna need to tell him NOT to give an interview to Diane Sawyer about it. She won't believe him and everyone will think he's crazy,” she smiled widely, “but Dare might have an aneurysm.”

“Hilarious,” but then something occurred to Felicity, “where is Dare, by the way?” She'd expected her other mentor to show up earlier but he never had.

“He's checking into the possible vamp attack you called about,” Cross answered. She struck toward Felicity's face and the slayer dodged and spun out of the way. She quickly sat down her water bottle and engaged the brunette. As they exchanged blows and blocks, Cross threw Felicity another curious expression. “How did you hear about that again?”

“Police scanner,” Felicity answer quickly. She swallowed her guilt at the lie. “Also, I'm sorta friends with the ADA.” She dove into the sparring hoping to distract her mentor and friend.

It didn't work. “That would be Laurel Lance, Loverboy's girlfriend, right?”

The blonde told herself her stomach clenched because she was anticipating Cross's next attack. “Former, but yes.” She avoided the other woman's eyes and blocked a kick to her left side.

“So the tabloids got something wrong? Shocking,” Cross's tone was soft and sympathetic. Felicity didn't want to know what her expression must have given away. 

“If you believe last week's hot item he's dating me,” the blonde couldn't entirely keep the bitterness out of her voice, “and I can assure you the man practically has 'little buddy' stamped on my forehead.”

Cross paused and lifted one brow. “You so sure about that?”

Felicity almost scoffed, but then their earlier encounter outside the lair replayed through her mind. Her cheek tingled where his thumb had stroked her skin and her breath caught in her throat. Shaking herself back to the present Felicity growled out loud in frustration. She glared at the smirking brunette. “You are NOT helping my stress levels!”

“Use it,” Cross instructed. “An angry slayer is a deadly slayer. Your emotions feed your power.”

Felicity was just about to pounce when the door to the training room swung open and Dare came stalking in. He nodded to Cross before focusing intensely on Felicity. “Take a break...you're gonna need it.” Crossing the room, he stopped in front of a locked cabinet. He punched in an access code and pulled open the doors. Inside was an arsenal of what Felicity once considered archaic weapons: stakes, crossbows, daggers, swords, axes, maces....it was a super-geek's dream hoard.

“Confirmed?” Cross asked.

Dare ignored her, his focus still on Felicity. “Time for weapons training. Two nights from now you're going to have a newly risen vamp to dust.”

Felicity made a pained face. “Why do I always have to be right?”

==========


	13. Chapter Twelve

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Things get real...

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Hey guys! Thanks again for all of your great feedback! I really appreciate hearing what you think. I'm glad everyone seems to like where we're going so far. We are definitely getting to the fun parts. 
> 
> So, my sister and I have always had this theory: We think that "..." actually stands for "Dum...Dum....DUMMMMM..."
> 
> So, here goes! Dum...Dum...DUMMMMM!!!
> 
> Disclaimer: I own NOTHING!...except Cross, Dare, and Case...

========== 

Felicity's eyes were closed. She was focused intently on the scent drifting up from the warm cup of coffee clasped in her hands...along with the mixed scents of breakfast food and the different strangers surrounding her. She thought people would probably lay off the perfume and cologne if they had any idea exactly how loud the scents were when they all mixed together. Felicity worked on separating them out. She tried to pull one scent from the chaos to the front. She focused on an apple-based lotion she liked. Stretching her super-nose she followed it back to a booth across and situated near the door of the diner. Now...she focused on her hearing. The woman wearing the apple lotion was irritated. Felicity heard the mother scold her child for opening and drinking the cream packets meant for her own cup of coffee. A smile curled the slayer's lips. She was getting better at this.

“Felicity?” She jumped and only her improved body-awareness kept her from spilling her coffee everywhere. Her eyes snapped open and to the handsome men standing beside her booth. Their expressions were amused, her own was rueful...better she might be, but she still had a ways to go.

“You found something?” Oliver asked.

Felicity grimaced as she remembered why she'd asked them to meet her. It was time to start laying the groundwork. With their newfound knowledge of a supernatural presence in Starling the lines were getting too blurry. Her silence wasn't protecting them anymore. Cross was right. Forewarned was forearmed. Knowledge was power, and the best way she could protect her team was to make sure they had it. They had to know what they were walking into. And if that meant exposing herself in the process...

“Felicity?” Digg asked.

“Yea...uh...I mean, yes,” Felicity nodded. She motioned to the other side of the booth. “Have a seat. This might take a while.”

Digg slid into the booth as suggested, but Oliver...Oliver slid in right next to her. He sat so close she could feel the natural heat coming off of his body. Felicity shot him an exasperated look but the vigilante stared back at her calmly. She squished herself further up against the wall trying to put some space between them. Oliver lifted an amused brow and his lips ticked up at the corner. Felicity pointed a finger at him sternly. “Behave! We don't have time to get into that right now.”

“Get into what?” Digg asked suspiciously.

Felicity threw up her hands. “Oliver overheard me giving Laurel a reality check about the status quo of my friendship with him.” She made a face. “It was one of those classic mortifying 'Felicity Smoak' moments I seem to always find myself in because...OF COURSE Gorgeous Laurel can't even correctly operate a fracking comm link.” 

Now Digg's eyebrows shot up. “And okay, that was a little mean,” Felicity admitted, “but you aren't the one who dug out your own heart with a spoon while Oliver and ROY were listening in.”

Oliver opened his mouth but Felicity glared him back into silence. “And now Oliver feels guilty for something that is completely beyond his control so he's determined to prove to me that I am an attractive and desirable woman.” She looked back to Digg. The bodyguard looked about as exasperated as she felt. “Laurel is officially back on my shit list.”

Digg narrowed his eyes on the vigilante. “Really man?”

Oliver glared back him. “Stay out of it, John.” He looked toward Felicity and his eyes softened. “I'm not trying to prove anything.”

“Right,” the blonde snorted, “because suddenly awkward IT girl is your type and not gorgeous perfect leggy brunette,” she tilted her head to the side, “you know...like Laurel?”

Oliver sighed. “Felicity...”

But the blonde had had enough. “No,” she shook her head, “we don't have time for the 'make Felicity feel better' pep talk right now. That's not why I called you here.”

Oliver looked frustrated and she just knew she hadn't heard the last of this subject. Still, he nodded. “Okay. Later.”

“Or never,” Felicity grumbled. She looked back to John who had leaned back in his seat and crossed his impressive arms over his chest. Her surrogate big brother was staring hard at Oliver. She had to get them back on subject. “Did Lyla find anything?” 

Glancing around to make sure no one was within hearing range, Digg sat forward and lowered his voice. “Finn's former-military. She pulled his service history. He worked on a very shady top-secret project known as 'The Initiative' before something went south and the army tried to erase any evidence of the project's existence. We know he did some deep cover work after that assignment but his more recent history is patchy.”

“Can she locate him?” Oliver asked.

“She's working on it,” Digg answered. “Apparently the man doesn't stay in one place for very long.”

They paused as the waitress arrived to take their order. The brunette, who looked to be in her early twenties, stopped star-struck as she recognized Oliver. Felicity snorted as the girl batted her eyes and turned her voice into a sexy purr. Oliver barely hid his irritation. He forced a smile and hurried her on her way, then looked back to Felicity. “You said you found something?”

Here it went. Felicity took in a deep breath and blew it out slowly. She fought back her nerves. “My information isn't about Finn...it's about the supernatural.”

“What do you know about the supernatural, Felicity?” Oliver's voice was a low growl.

She couldn't look at him. She couldn't look at either of them. She stared down at her hands clasped, once again, around her coffee cup on the table. “I need you two to let me get this out. If you're going to be messing with the supernatural you have to understand what you're facing. I want to help...to protect you...but this isn't easy...”

She saw a big dark hand reach forward and pull one of hers loose from the cup. Digg clasped her fingers in his. “Tell us. We'll just listen.” She heard the warning in his tone and knew it was directed at Oliver.

Felicity nodded...and then following her heart and taking a chance she started speaking. “A long time ago, millennia ago...back when the world was young, true demons walked the earth. Not the vestiges that are left today but giant monsters that you can't even imagine.” She felt John's fingers tighten on hers, but he didn't interrupt. She squeezed his fingers back in support. “Something happened, I don't know what exactly but I'm sure God had a hand in it,” she shrugged, “anyway something happened and the demons were forced out of this dimension.”

Felicity could feel how tense Oliver was beside her. She knew it was taking everything he had not to interrupt and demand answers. Without thinking about why, Felicity slipped her other hand off the table and down between them. Oliver quickly threaded his fingers with hers. She blew out another breath. “As you can imagine, the demons weren't too happy about leaving. Some of the smarter ones decided to leave a piece of themselves behind. They mixed their essence with humans and created half-breeds...the demons and vampires roaming the world today.”

“The existence of the half-breeds and the threat they posed the human race threw off the balance between good and evil,” she explained. “There had to be a force to oppose them. The answer came in the form of a vision sent to the leaders of one of the nomadic tribes. The shamans of that tribe used their magic to perform a ritual...” she finally looked up and into John's ashen face. He really really hated this stuff...and she really really hated having to drop it on him. Unfortunately he was too far in to back out now. “They performed a terrible ritual,” she continued. “They took a young innocent girl from the tribe and they bound within her the essence of a demon. They created the first slayer.”

“Interesting subject matter,” all three occupants of the table jerked. Only the fact that both Oliver and Digg were also taken by surprise lessened Felicity's chagrin. She was a slayer, dammit! She had to stop zoning out and losing all awareness.

Felicity's insides hummed at the tension in the air. They all looked to the side. A stranger stood facing the table. He was wearing a blue plaid button down and jeans. Before the slayer could process any more about him, Oliver's voice sounded in a dangerous growl “Finn.” 

“This is the guy?” Digg assessed the stranger in surprise.

Felicity blinked behind her Clark Kent glasses, because yes...he was a stranger and an unknown and he'd snuck up on them unaware...but he was also cute. Riley Finn was tall and blonde and muscular. He had kind eyes and the cutest friendliest smile. He literally looked like the All-American boy-next-door. THIS was a demon hunter? Not that she'd expect to find her own picture next to the word slayer in the dictionary mind you...

“My contacts said someone in Starling City was trying to find me,” Finn said. He smirked at Oliver apparently amused and not alarmed by his obvious irritation. “Word is the supernatural world has finally taken notice of your home town and knowing your little Robin Hood routine, I figured it might be you.”

Oliver grimaced. “I am not Robin Hood.”

“Then you picked the wrong color and weapon,” Finn pointed out. He notched his head toward the table. “Want to make some introductions?”

Oliver sighed and motioned across the table. “This is John Diggle, my associate.”

Digg nodded and made room so Finn could join them in the booth and stop drawing the attention of the other customers. “And you're Riley Finn?”

“That I am,” Riley said. Then he smiled at Felicity, taking in her perky blonde ponytail, quirky glasses, and bright pink lips. “And this is?”

Oliver ground his teeth. Digg tensed protectively. Felicity rolled her eyes at the neanderthals. “I'm Felicity Smoak, tech support.”

Riley's eyes twinkled curiously. “And a fount of supernatural information?”

Felicity shifted in her seat. She fell back on the standard answer. “If it's on the internet, I can find it.”

Riley lifted a brow. “They have that spiel on the internet now? I'm sure Giles is thrilled.”

Felicity frowned and canted her head to the side. “Giles?”

Riley smiled. “A watcher. He's pretty old-school.”

Felicity's mouth dropped open. If Finn knew a watcher he was legit. 

“How did you find me, Finn?” Oliver asked.

“And what's a watcher?” Digg added.

Riley looked back to Oliver. “I told you...”

“How did you find us here?” Oliver qualified. “I'm not at home or at work. How did you know I would be here?” His eyes narrowed in suspicion.

Taking in the renewed tension, Riley sighed. “Do you want the truth or something you're comfortable with?” Holding his eyes, Oliver didn't bother to answer. Riley shrugged. “Locator spell...and connected to my GPS.” He pulled out his phone, pulled up an app, and showed them the screen. It was a map with a dot flashing over their current location. 

“A locator...what?” Digg's voice was shaky.

“Spell,” Riley confirmed. “We have a few witches on the payroll.”

Digg groaned and rubbed his hands over his face. “Man, my life use to be so normal.”

“We should put that on a t-shirt,” Riley agreed. He looked to Oliver and shrugged again. “I've been tracking you for a couple of hours. I didn't think showing up at your secret base would have went over well. I figured a diner was more neutral territory.”

The waitress arrived with their food. Felicity doubted any of them were actually interested in eating. They took the plates, Finn waved away her offer to take his order, and they watched as she walked away.

Oliver's jaw was so tight Felicity was starting to worry for his dental work. He really didn't like being taken by surprise. Still, she had to admire his resolve. He kept on task. “What's a watcher?”

“Organization of humans dedicated to watching and training the slayer,” Riley said.

Oliver's eyes flashed briefly in her direction. “And the slayer is this girl connected to a demon?”

Riley winced at his wording. “No...no...it's a little more complicated than that. The slayer is the mystical warrior created to combat the forces of darkness. Saying they're connected to a demon...that's like blasphemy.”

Digg frowned at Felicity. “But...”

“They did bind the first slayer to the essence of a demon,” Riley explained, “but that only imbued her with equal powers to what she would be facing.” He paused and an affectionate smile curved his lips. “Slayers are heroes. They fight the nightmares that most normal humans don't even want to admit exist. They risk their lives every single night to save the world...and they never get thanked for doing it.”

“You seem to know a lot about slayers,” Felicity noted.

“I should,” Riley told her, “I use to be in love with one.” Felicity's eyes widened in surprise, but Riley only shook his head. “Anyway, that was a long time ago. But I do know slayers.”

“Multiple?” Oliver asked.

Riley nodded. “Since '03 when Willow wiggled her nose and activated all the potentials.” He froze and chuckled. “Don't EVER tell her I worded it like that.” He took in a deep breath and blew it out. “Prior to the big spell it was still all 'one girl in all the world'...one slayer died and another was called.” He frowned. “It basically amounted to a bunch of dead teenage girls who wasted the last years of their young lives fighting a losing battle to save the entire world by themselves.” He lifted his brows. “Destiny sucks.”

Felicity snorted. “So say we all.” Everyone looked at her and she made herself busy lifting her now cold coffee for another gulp.

“I'm so confused,” Digg admitted.

Oliver shot him a look that said he agreed. He looked back to Riley. “We caught a vampire attack on video last night.”

“So the gossip's true,” Riley said, “the supernatural has come to Starling.”

“We need help,” Oliver admitted reluctantly. “Or at least more information about what we're fighting from someone who's faced these things before.”

Riley lifted one brow. “This fight isn't for the weak at heart. You sure your team is ready?” His eyes flickered to Digg.

John Diggle did not like being seen as the weakest link. He glared at Riley and spoke firmly.“We're not gonna sit back and let these things eat our city.”

Felicity groaned and banged her head down on her fist. That was totally what she was afraid of. She tried not to jump as she felt a warm arm wrap around her waist. Oliver stroked up and down her side in an attempt at comfort.

“Will you help?” Oliver asked the hunter.

“I'll do you one better than that,” Riley smiled. “I put a call in to the Council. They're already aware of the situation and moving their players onto the board. Apparently there's a new slayer in Starling and she's training with a group of hunters the Council will vouch for. We've got a meet set for tonight. Our contact's name is Dare.”

And Felicity just stared at him dumbly as her secret separate worlds crashed in on each other...she was going to be in SO much trouble...

==========


	14. Chapter Thirteen

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Team Arrow catches up on more supernatural history and they have to consider priorities as they decide how to proceed for the night.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Hey guys! I'm stunned and so thrilled with all the feedback I got on the last chapter. Thank you SO much! Your comments really warm my heart and keep me writing. I'm afraid I might annoy some of you with this chapter. I know you all want to get to that meeting pretty badly and I promise we ARE getting there, but I can't skip to the good stuff at the expense of my plot. I'm sorry for the wait, but please try to be patient with me. I don't want to leave any glaring holes unfilled if I can help it.
> 
> I will try to respond to all your feedback at some point tonight, but I figured getting the next chapter out was priority. I had a birthday party to help with this weekend so I've been busy. I just want to thank you all again for your comments. You guys rock! I hope you enjoy the new chapter!
> 
> Here goes...
> 
> Disclaimer: I own NOTHING!...Except Cross, Case, and Dare...

========== 

“So...you've been fighting these things since...” Roy trailed off unsure of the answer.

“Since I was your age,” Riley smirked at the young man. 

Roy was curious, had been since they'd arrived at the lair half an hour ago. It had taken some convincing but Oliver finally relented and let the hunter follow them back. It helped that Finn easily recited the address of said lair back to the vigilantes. The only thing he didn't have was the access code and Felicity didn't doubt he could get it. She really should look into anti-magic protection when she got the chance. Hmm...now that she thought of it.. 

Riley chuckled as he read the subject matter she typed in her search. He was leaning back against Felicity's workstation and she fought to keep her eyes on her work. She felt him looking her way...it had happened fairly often since they arrived. It was making her jumpy. He seemed to have decided the edge of her workstation was an ideal place to squat. Roy had even warned him off, told him “Blondie bites”, but still...he hovered. 

Where were Oliver and Digg and their overprotective tendencies when she needed them? Oh right, bickering somewhere in the back of the lair. Oliver would be Oliver.

“I joined the army straight out of high school,” Riley turned back to Roy. “Got assigned to a special project in Sunnydale, California. We were masquerading as college students, but our real objective was the observation and study of hostile sub-terrestrials.” At Roy's frown he clarified. “Things that go bump in the night.”

Now Roy's expression turned disgusted. “You studied these things?”

Felicity stiffened. She really didn't like the sound of that project...and not just because technically she could be classified as one of those “things”.

Riley winced. “I'd like to claim I was just a soldier, that I was just following orders, but it's no excuse.” He sighed and his eyes were distant. “We saw them as animals...as rabid extremely dangerous animals.” He shrugged. “Some of them basically were, but some wasn't all. Some demons are harmless, a good many are neutral, and the vampire species get even more complicated. Hell, there are even a few exceptions of the Possessed.” The last was said grudgingly.

“Not all vampires are evil?” Roy asked the question before Felicity could get it out of her mouth.

The soldier considered his answer carefully. “The most common species of vampire are the Possessed. They're your garden variety vamp and they're evil. They have no soul. You see one, you stake one.”

Roy crossed his arms over his chest and leaned back against his workbench. He cocked one brow. “You said there were exceptions.”

“I've met two,” Riley said with emphasis. “I've heard of a third, but never met her. You can't go into a vamp fight wondering if you're facing one of the exceptions. Possessed are evil. You see one, you stake one. End of story. If you run across Angel or Spike, you're not gonna be good enough to take them out anyway. And if you do?” Riley snorted. “I'll try really hard to feel bad about it.”

“And what happened with this military project?” Felicity drew him back. “I'm thinking nothing good considering the way they burned it down and salted the earth.”

Riley nodded in acknowledgment. He made a face. “Our director was a scientist named Maggie Walsh. She had a hidden objective. She wanted to create the perfect soldier...”

“Fucking hell,” Roy spat, “are men EVER going to give that shit up?” He took a deep breath and tried to fight down his rage. Finn watched him confused.

Felicity tried to pull the attention off her teammate. “She used the demons?”

“Worse,” Riley answered. “She played Frankenstein...created an abomination, part human, part demon, part machine, that promptly killed her. He destroyed the Initiative and started creating an army like himself.” He tilted his head to the side. “We were messing with forces we didn't even understand and we were doing it on top of the largest active Hellmouth. We're lucky he didn't destroy the world.”

“What stopped him?” Felicity couldn't help but ask.

A smile, a real smile, curved his lips. “The slayer Buffy Summers. Her group of hunters came in and cleaned up our mess.”

Buffy Summers was definitely a name she'd heard before. Felicity turned back to her monitors staring blindly. Buffy Summers, the Slayer General, the greatest slayer to ever live...the one who changed it for them all. 

“So you met this slayer chick, huh?” Roy asked. He smirked. “Bet she couldn't take the Canary.”

Riley chuckled but before he could answer the sound of the electronic locks disengaging distracted them. Felicity tried to pretend her teammate had not just insulted one of the greatest warriors to ever live. Not that Sara wasn't awesome, but if even half the stories about Buffy Summers were true, that was a fight her favorite Lance sister did not want to start.

Laurel strutted down the stairs. “Where's Ollie? We need to...” she stopped as she noticed Riley. Her eyebrows shot up and she looked to Felicity. “Who is this and what is he doing here?”

Riley smiled that super friendly smile of his. He looked over the beautiful brunette wearing her standard black workout gear of sports bra and yoga pants.

Felicity, however, honed in on the garment bag over her shoulder. Her eyes widened in realization. “Oh frelling frack! That's tonight!” Felicity jumped to her feet and started toward the stairs. She tried to pass Laurel but the other woman grabbed her by the arm. She pointed back to Riley. “Who is this?” She repeated herself.

“Riley Finn,” the soldier answered.

“A vampire hunter,” Roy said at the same time.

Laurel's mouth dropped open. She looked from Riley to Roy to Felicity. “He's a what?”

“The attack from last night,” Felicity explained. “It was a vampire. Turns out Oliver had old connections with a hunter,” she pointed to Riley, “Lyla looked him up, his contacts tipped him off, he tracked Oliver down, and now he's here to help us deal with the vampire problem.”

Laurel's mouth was still gaping open. She waved her hand in the air vaguely. “Vampires are real since when?”

“Last night,” Roy grinned. He was enjoying this entirely too much. Laurel was still not his favorite person.

She glared at him then looked back at Felicity imploringly. “You're serous? Vampires are real?”

Felicity winced and nodded. “Yes, Laurel, vampires are real.”

The lawyer finally started to pull herself together. Her jaw tightened and her eyes flashed. “SEE? No one even CALLED me! Like I didn't need to know this?!?”

Roy snorted, but Felicity honestly felt a little bad. Someone really should have called Laurel. “I'm sorry. You were gone by the time we discussed it last night and we've only been here today for about an hour. We met Riley earlier this morning. He surprised Digg, Oliver, and I at a diner.” She hoped her sincerity came across to the other woman. “I truly am sorry. We should have called you.”

Laurel nodded, but her jaw was still tight. “I appreciate that. I guess thinking Oliver would keep me informed was asking too much.” She dropped her hand from Felicity's arm and the blonde could see the hurt shining through her expression.

Felicity sighed. “I'm not Oliver, but I promise in the future I will try to keep you informed.” She reluctantly pointed to the stairs. “But I really have to run and grab my evening gown for tonight. With all the craziness, I completely forgot about the charity dinner.”

Laurel nodded. “I'll see you when you get back. For the time being,” she threw Roy another glare, before plastering on a smile and strutting toward Riley, “I'll get to know Mr. Finn here.” She held out one perfectly manicured hand. “Pleasure to meet you. I'm Laurel Lance.”

As Felicity watched Riley chuckle and take Laurel's offered hand she couldn't help but think Oliver was not going to be happy with that situation. Laurel was hurt and pissed off and Riley was friendly and extremely attractive. And Oliver Queen did not like competition for the Lance girls. This was one more complication they didn't need.

========== 

When Felicity returned she walked into the middle of an argument. Oliver and Laurel were facing off. Digg and Roy were whispering together off to one side and Riley was leaning against a pillar near her workstation and watching the show with an amused expression on his face.

“This is not up for discussion, Laurel,” Oliver growled. He loomed over the lawyer in that way he had of intimidation through sheer size and force of presence.

Felicity looked at him in surprise. She'd never seen him actually pull that move on Laurel before. It was something he'd dropped on Felicity a few times over the last two years, but she'd always believed Laurel was too precious to be exposed to one of his more assholery tactics. 

It didn't impress the brunette either. It only seemed to piss her off worse. “I think you'll find it is, Ollie.”

Oliver clenched his jaw. He drew in a deep breath and blew it out and Felicity knew he was trying to stave off a bitch fit the likes of which Laurel had never seen. The blonde silently wished him luck in his endeavor because if he started flipping over tables and breaking her things she was going to have a bitch fit on him right back. He just thought Laurel was pissed.

“Maybe everyone should take a beat,” Finn spoke up. “This angst is unnecessary.”

Both Oliver and Laurel turned their glares on him and Felicity groaned as realization dawned. This had to be about the Laurel and Riley thing. What? Had Laurel actually flirted with Finn in front of Oliver? Did she have to poke the tiger with a stick?

“This is MY team, Finn,” Oliver stepped toward the soldier. “I decide how we run our missions and I didn't ask for your input.”

Riley mockingly threw his hands up in surrender, but his expression was unmoved.

Noticing how close the pissy vigilante was getting to her babies, Felicity resolved to intervene. “Technically WE decide how we run our missions, Oliver.” Throwing her garment bag over her chair, she hurried to stand in between her partner and the soldier. “And if you ninja kick my babies in a fit of pique I will shoot you with your own arrows.”

“What she said,” Digg added with a smile.

Oliver exhaled and some of the tension seemed to drain away as he looked down at Felicity. He lifted one brow. “Where have you been?”

Felicity hooked her thumb over her shoulder. “I forgot my gown for Baker's charity dinner. I ran home to grab it.”

Oliver's face tightened and Felicity heard Laurel make a sound of obvious satisfaction. She blinked at Oliver confused. “What'd I miss?”

“We're skipping the charity dinner,” Oliver said.

Felicity canted her head far to the side and frowned. “What?”

“The meet's set for tonight,” Oliver explained. “It's priority.”

Felicity gaped at him. “We've been working on nailing Baker for weeks!”

“We'll get him later,” Oliver forced. “This is priority.”

The blonde IT genius looked to her other partner. “You agreed with this?”

Digg snorted. “What do you think we were arguing about all morning? You know how he is.”

Felicity took a deep breath and tried to control her own temper. She had to reason with Oliver and his adamantium-coated skull. “We have to get Baker, Oliver. This is our job.”

“I've been trying to tell him that,” Laurel muttered.

Glancing back briefly to glare at Laurel, Oliver crossed his arms over his chest. “I'm prioritizing the greater threat. I'm not going to the dinner.”

His dismissal of her argument pushed Felicity's last button. Her eyebrows shot toward her hairline and she notched up her chin as she stared at him. “Oh really? That's the final word, is it?”

“Yes,” he said.

“Fine,” Felicity forced a smile, “then I'll go with Laurel. I don't need your invite.”

“What?” Oliver and Laurel spoke at the same time.

Felicity turned her head to look at Laurel. “You'll take me as you plus one, right?” The other woman stared back at her stunned. Felicity shrugged and looked back to Oliver. “We'll be hot. I clean up good.”

Oliver gritted his teeth. He took a step closer to the blonde. “You can't go after Baker without me.”

Felicity took a step closer to him right back and held his glare. “Watch me!” She reached out to poke him hard in the chest with one finger. “I'm not about to let the human scumbags get away just because the supernatural ones decided to show up! That's MY priority!”

Digg smirked at Roy. “I told you she'd handle it.”

Oliver sighed. He reached up to rub his fingers over his eyes. “Felicity...”

“The vampires aren't going anywhere, Oliver,” Felicity told him, “this is only the beginning. The meet can be rescheduled.” Hell, she'd call Dare and Cross herself if she had to.

“That won't be necessary,” Riley spoke up again. Felicity started. She'd completely forgotten his presence behind her...dammit. “As I tried to explain earlier,” he tossed Oliver a mocking smile, “the meet is set for midnight. Unless I'm mistaken, you'll have plenty of time to complete your mission beforehand.” Shaking his head, he laughed lightly. “Not that I'm supporting your vigilantism.” 

“Great!” Laurel said. She stepped forward with a smile to stand beside Felicity. “Cause as much as I'd love to shock Starling high society by walking in with you on my arm, I think we'd draw more attention than we wanted if Oliver's ex-girlfriend stole his current one.”

Oliver choked. Roy, Digg, and Riley chuckled. Felicity gaped at Laurel. “That is not funny!”

Laurel rolled her eyes. She grabbed Felicity by the arm again and tugged her toward her workstation. “Oh trust me, I know. At this point it's turning into a frickin' tragedy.” She waved at Felicity's chair and sent the blonde an imploring expression. “We've got some time before we have to get ready. Do you mind showing me how you set up those video feeds last night? I want to practice for next time. I know I can't do the hacking but I want to help.”

Felicity shook herself from her shock. In the hope of maintaining some shred of her sanity, she decided to pretend those last few comments never happened. Reaching for the mouse, she pointed for Laurel. “I've set up some shortcuts on my desktop. You click here for street view,” she pointed to one icon, “or here for satellite,” she pointed to another.

As the rest of the group dispersed, Riley walked back around to his earlier spot and looked down at Felicity's station. He blinked as he watched the satellite view of Starling appear on the left monitor. “You have a satellite?”

Felicity smirked but never looked up. “No, A.R.G.U.S. has a satellite. I'm just a frequent visitor.”

“I didn't hear that,” Digg called out.

Riley looked Felicity over in appreciation again. “Have you ever considered working for the military?”

“FINN!” Oliver growled. He pointed to the practice mats. “How about you leave my partner alone and show me what you've got?”

Riley sighed and stood up straight. Felicity waved him off. “You two go have your pissing contest. Laurel and I are going to do something productive.” She motioned back to the other woman. Laurel grabbed a chair and pulled it up to Felicity's side. The blonde smiled and handed over the mouse. She pointed to an icon on her center monitor. “We'll take it from the top. Double click here...”

==========


	15. Chapter Fourteen

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Tensions rise within the team as they deal with the addition of Riley Finn's presence and Felicity and Laurel have another deep conversation while getting dressed for their mission.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Yes, yes, I know...still not there yet! But thank you again for the inspiring response to the last chapter. I'm honestly surprised I have a new chapter for you so soon. I expected it to take a few more days. I'm glad though because I'm fixing to start a whole new work week so that might slow me down. As always, I would love to know what you guys think, what you like, or if there is anything confusing that I need to check out. Your comments make my day. I can't even explain how good it feels to know that people enjoy your work. I will try to get my responses to your feedback out tonight or tomorrow. I would like to say I'll answer them all right now, but I'm gonna crash at some point. 
> 
> Sorry, but this chapter still isn't to any of the action yet. I felt like there were some things that needed to be covered, some things that needed to be said, and I wanted to get everything set up to cover the charity dinner in the next chapter. I'm glad people seem to be warming up to my Laurel...I'm actually warming up to her as well. I kinda like making her an actual person with flaws and problems, but still a good person at heart. She's growing on me. I'm also still having fun with Riley. He's kinda giving Oliver fits...and it's so much fun to write.
> 
> Anyway, hope everyone enjoys the new chapter! I'll try to get the next one out before too long. I would love any feedback you can send my way! You guys rock!
> 
> Here goes...
> 
> Disclaimer: I own NOTHING!...except Cross and Dare and Case...

========== 

Felicity knew she was attractive. Now, she'd never be a supermodel...too short, too full, and totally awkward...but she also knew she did indeed clean up well. No matter what misconceptions her frequent babbles might imply, Felicity was not insecure about her physical appearance. She just also had no delusions and she spent the majority of her time with people who could legitimately make a career posing in their underwear. Felicity was normal attractive, aka attractive among normal human beings, not red carpet attractive. And most of the time she was more than okay with that. Her self-worth was in no way dependent on her physical appearance...hello GENIUS! However, every once and a while something happened and it stung...cause hello OLIVER! 

But today? Today was not one of those days. Today Felicity's skin had itched with the constant awareness of being watched. She'd somehow caught Riley Finn's interest. He'd seemed intrigued at the diner, slightly more so while squatting on her workstation when they'd first arrived at the lair, but since she'd stood her ground and faced down Oliver the soldier had flat-out abandoned all attempts at subtlety. He kept smiling at her. He asked what she was up to. He took breaks from sparring with Oliver and leaned back against her station sipping water and questioning both she and Laurel about their roles within the team. 

It was all very flattering. He was attractive, he was single (Laurel had asked loudly), and he was a proven warrior for the forces of light. He knew slayers, hell he'd dated one apparently, and witches, and all other manner of impressive supernatural beings who fought day in and day out to save the world at the risk of their very lives. He'd met and fought beside legends of her newfound destined world and yet...he was interested in her. Felicity didn't know exactly how far that interest went, she might be an idle curiosity to pass the time, but it was flattering nonetheless. Felicity's only real concern was that Riley was clearly going to DIE! Because Oliver was going to KILL him!

By the time Felicity had stood from her station and moved to get dressed for the charity dinner that night, she'd lost count of how many times she'd watched Riley pick himself up off the mats. If Oliver had started out their sparring at about level Torment I, by hour three he had to be pushing Torment XV...and Felicity was pretty sure it was supposed to top off at Torment XIII unless she'd missed a patch. Oliver was inventing new Torments! Still, Finn just kept on going. He picked himself up, brushed himself off, laughed good-naturedly, and went right back to it.

Felicity had to admit his fortitude was impressive but he was taking a beating. Not that he didn't get in his own shots, but Riley's fighting style used more dirty or trick shots. He was quick to point out that brute strength meant jack-shit in a fight against a vampire and that Oliver would be dead about a hundred times over. When Roy made a crack about Oliver's treatment bruising his ego, Riley smiled and shook his head. “You don't know humbled until you've had your ass handed to you by a 5'4” blonde former-cheerleader in a mini-skirt and four-inch heels...and she was taking it easy on me. At least Oliver's trying.” Then he'd winked at Felicity, Oliver barked out another challenge, and on it went.

Now Felicity was closed up in the bathroom with Laurel and hoping Oliver didn't do anything MORE stupid because she wasn't around to see it. She wasn't helping him get rid of a body just because he didn't like sharing his toys. And yes, she was fully aware of how insulting it was to classify herself as one of his toys, but 'friend zone' or not, the “Barry” debacle had taught her that Oliver did not like her attention on anyone else...spoiled petulant asshole that he was.

And then there was Laurel...who was eating this shit up. The lawyer was having the time of her life. She giggled and flirted with Riley when he turned her way. She eagerly filled him in on anything he wanted to know. She turned her nose up at Oliver when he tried to nudge her to train with Digg. And then...and then...she invited Riley to be her plus-one for the charity dinner. Oliver broke the Kendo stick in his hands. Laurel actually giggled.

Riley tried to bow out of the invitation politely, but Laurel pleaded and pouted and explained that she didn't want to look like she was trailing around after Oliver and Felicity all night like a pathetic creeper. Wouldn't he please be her knight in shining armor and save her from such a fate? Hearing her own words echo back at her, Felicity stared at the other woman in disbelief. Laurel just smiled and thanked Riley enthusiastically as he caved. It was going to be a long long night.

==========

Laurel smirked as she leaned back against the mirror in the bathroom and looked Felicity over. The blonde was wearing a full-length light gold designer gown. It had a demure neckline and covered her shoulders in a sheer gold mesh overlay that continued over the rest of the gown which started at her bust, hugging every curve of her body lovingly, before flaring slightly around her legs so she could walk comfortably. She'd actually brought both a red and a gold option, but Laurel helped her settle on her current choice. The lawyer's smile was more than a little devious. “You are going to knock the breath out of Riley Finn.”

Felicity huffed and continued to fiddle with her hair which she was wearing half up-half down in loose curls. “I think he's had the breath knocked out of him enough for one day.”

Laurel laughed lightly. “I only wish I could figure out a way for you to be HIS plus-one.” She stood up straight and looked at her own reflection in the mirror. She was going with classic black. Her dress was strapless and highlighted her tan shoulders and arms. The shimmering black fabric flowed more loosely over her tone frame than Felicity's dress. It hinted at, more than hugged her curves, but the deep slit up her left leg more than made up for the modesty. Laurel tilted her head to the side and pursed her lips. “You're right. We would be hot.”

Felicity met the brunette's eyes in the mirror. “What are you playing at, Laurel? Are you into Riley? Are you pushing me at Riley? You're giving me whiplash.”

Laurel grinned and rolled her eyes. “I'm not playing at anything, Felicity. I think we both know Riley's stay here is temporary. He's going to help set the team up to deal with this new threat and then he'll move on. He's a career soldier. That kind of man never stays in one place for long.”

Felicity lifted her brows. “And you aren't hoping I'll move along with him?”

Now the lawyer laughed out loud. She shook her head and poked Felicity in the arm with her finger. “No, Felicity, you aren't going anywhere. YOU are the only ally I have around here.” Taking in the blonde's expression she snorted. “And yes, I know you don't think I belong in the field. But you're willing to let me help, Felicity. You aren't doing your best to humor me and hoping I'll just go away.”

Felicity winced. “Anymore...I'm not doing that anymore.”

But Laurel's smile never dropped. She shrugged. “I'll take what I can get.”

It made sense. Felicity sighed and some of the tension drained out of her shoulders. Still... “So what's with inviting Riley to the charity dinner?”

Laurel chuckled. “Just because he's not sticking around long-term doesn't mean the man isn't fascinating and fun to look at.” She picked up her purse and turned toward the door. “Besides, the world is a circle and Oliver Queen could use some competition. He may have pulled his head out of his ass, but he still has a lot of crawling to do before he'll come close to deserving you.”

Felicity reached out and grabbed the other woman's arm. Laurel winced and Felicity immediately lightened her grip. She'd forgotten her own strength in her agitation. She stared hard at Laurel. “You have got to stop saying things like that. I know you don't mean to, but it hurts. I closed that door for a reason. I couldn't keep standing around ripping out my own heart while I watched him run around...” she paused and winced, “after you and your sister, okay? I know you have this great epic romance where anything and everything else pales in comparison. I can't afford to be collateral damage of that. I'm not willing to play consolation prize.”

Laurel's eyes narrowed. “Oh yes, that asshole deserves to crawl.”

“Laurel,” Felicity forced, “YOU are the love of his life!”

For just a moment, the other woman looked as though she'd been struck across the face. She paled and shook and her eyes looked suspiciously bright. But Laurel Lance was a woman who was use to pain. She might only now be learning how to take physical blows, but emotional ones were her old friends. With effort, she took a breath, plastered on a fake smile, and pulled herself together. She met the oblivious genius' eyes with weight. “No, Felicity, I was the love of Ollie's life,” her voice shook slightly but she pushed on, “and we both know Ollie never made it off that island.” She canted her head to the side and her smile was heartbroken and resigned. “Oliver? I've come to realize that I don't even know that man at all.”

And Felicity had no idea what to say to that. It wasn't something she could fix. She watched the other woman turn away and exit the room. She wondered vaguely if she was actually going to have to hint to Oliver that he might need to work on his relationship with Laurel if he didn't want to lose her completely. Just the thought of pushing him in that direction...her stomach churned. Maybe, for once, she should stay the hell out of it. Oliver's love life was none of her business and she was just going to keep telling herself that until she believed it.

========== 

There was still a frown on Felicity's face as she walked back through the lair to join the others. A long loud whistle split the air and she huffed out a laugh. Her face flushed red and she mock-glared at the culprit. “Not funny.”

Her surrogate big brother smiled unrepentant. “Hey, I can't help my reaction to a beautiful woman.”

Felicity smiled back. “I'll be sure to tell Lyla that the next time I see her.” Digg only lifted a knowing brow. 

Gathering her gumption, Felicity looked to the others. Riley was smiling widely right at her. He was dressed in a borrowed tux but he filled it out well. Laurel stood to his left smirking at the soldier's reaction. Oliver was to the right. He didn't smile...his eyes sliding slowly up her body and locking with hers. Felicity's breath caught in her throat at that look. After a long burning pause, he lifted one brow and his lips ticked up at the sides. He stalked forward to join her and held out one hand. “I'd forgotten how beautiful you are in gold.”

Felicity gaped at him for a moment before she shook herself at her own ridiculousness. She could not keep reacting to him like this. Forcing away her nerves, she slid her hand into his. She smile slightly. “Thank you. You in a tux should be a felony, but you already know that.”

Oliver grinned. “You can add it to the list.”

Felicity snorted and rolled her eyes. “I'm the one who makes corny jokes, Oliver. Stay in your own lane.”

Oliver opened his mouth to reply, but Riley beat him to it. He had walked up beside them with Laurel. He clapped Oliver on the shoulder. “Starting to think your job doesn't suck, Queen.” He smiled again at Felicity. “I have to agree, though. You do look beautiful, Ms. Smoak.”

Felicity watched Oliver's jaw clench. His hand tightened around hers and she was positive that a week ago it would have hurt like a bitch. As it was, she ignored it and reached up with her free hand to pat gently at his chest...his very impressive and firm chest. “I'm not explaining away anymore visible blood on your formal wear, Mr. Queen. Breathe.”

Oliver huffed a laugh despite him. Those addictive blue eyes twinkled at her. “I cut myself shaving,” he remembered.

Felicity groaned and shook her head. “It was PAINFUL! I can not be responsible for your cover stories. My mouth should be considered a physical disability.”

Oliver's eyes dropped to her lips. “I like your mouth,” he said softly. He grinned again as a flush spread up her neck and over her face. Then he rolled his shoulder sharply disengaging Riley's hand. He cut his eyes toward the other man in a glare. Lightening his grip, Oliver used Felicity's hand to guide her arm through his. He turned and led her toward the stairs. He paused only briefly to look at Digg.

The other man nodded. “I've got comms. Roy will be close in case you need him.”

As if he heard his name, Arsenal came walking up wearing his gear and carrying his bow. He smirked at their appearance. “Have I mentioned how glad I am Thea turned this invitation down?” 

Felicity smirked at him. “Aww...you look cute in a tux.”

Roy's expression was sour. “I spend all night at these things with people asking me where the champagne and hors d'oeuvres are.” Then his lips ticked and Felicity decided he'd been spending way too much time with Oliver. “Or handing me their keys and expecting me to park their overpriced cars.” He wiggled his brows. “Oh, I'll park them alright. I'm a boy from the Glades. I'll park them in the closest chop-shop.”

Knowing all too well that Roy wasn't joking about his treatment, Felicity shook her head in disgust. “God, I hate these people.” She froze and looked to Oliver and Laurel guiltily. “With a few notable exceptions, of course.”

Laurel snorted. “My dad's a cop and I'm an ADA. My blood doesn't run blue.”

Oliver shrugged. “I've spent the last two years putting arrows in these people.”

“And now you're going to go sit down and eat dinner with them,” Riley noted amused. “Forget what I said earlier, I'll stick to vampires and demons. We mostly just kill them.”

==========


	16. Chapter Fifteen

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Team Arrow goes into action at the charity dinner, but Felicity continues to struggle with Oliver's behavior and another shock to the system might send her into a full-blown panic attack.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Hey guys! Thanks so much again for all your comments. They feed my soul! And I really really needed it for this chapter because I struggled. I knew what I wanted to write but for some reason it was like pulling teeth. This totally wasn't what I actually intended to happen in this chapter! It just...spilled out! So, I'm really not sure what to think of the finished product. I hope you guys enjoy it and I'll be sitting here chewing my nails and hoping I get some feedback and I haven't run you all off...lol.
> 
> I'll try to respond to everyone at some point today. I'm on nights so I'm heading to bed soon. And as I said, I'm kinda nervous about this chapter so please feel free to send any questions or comments or even yells of outrage my way...lol.
> 
> Thanks again! Here goes...
> 
> Disclaimer: I own NOTHING!...except Cross and Case and Dare...

========== 

Felicity kept her pageant smile firmly in place as she greeted yet another high society couple who neither knew, nor cared who she actually was. She was an ornament on Oliver Queen's arm and even after his work to reform his public image that came with certain implications. And she could handle that, she could...she'd been dealing with receiving those sly looks and the accompanying rumors for damn near a year. She knew her own worth. She could care less what these stuck-up deluded self-obsessed prigs thought they knew about her. It didn't hurt that she was going to be using those brains they didn't think she possessed to nail several of the scumbags to the wall later tonight. Well, the figurative wall anyway...the police wall...the wall of justice? Let's just say they were going to have a rougher night than she was and considering the countdown to her two secret worlds imploding had already started...

As the couple walked away, Oliver smirked and leaned toward her. “You're babbling in your head, aren't you?”

“Shut up,” Felicity said.

“There you two are,” Laurel's voice sounded from the right and Felicity sighed in relief as she watched the lawyer walk forward to join them dragging along her date. Riley's expression was amused but he allowed himself to be towed. Laurel looked from Oliver to Felicity and lifted her brows. “What took you so long?”

The IT genius made a face. “The press line.”

A disbelieving laugh escaped Laurel's throat. “You didn't come in the back?” Felicity's expression was her answer. Laurel laughed again and focused on Oliver. “Why?”

Oliver met her eyes calmly. “The board meeting on Monday is practically a formality at this point. It's good publicity for QC.”

“To document yourself at a charity dinner thrown by corrupt businessmen who will hopefully end the night in jail?”

“THIS!” Felicity nodded in agreement.

Oliver lifted one brow. “I just saw the Chief of Police walk by.” He smiled at another couple who passed them and lowered his voice so they wouldn't be overheard. “We can't be blamed for our ignorance.”

Felicity snorted. “I blame people for their ignorance all the time.”

Oliver's smile turned genuine and his eyes crinkled at the corners as he nodded at her. “Yes, but you are kind of a know-it-all.”

Felicity bit her lip. “I really am the Hermione, aren't I?'”

Laurel snorted. “You kind of are. You're lucky your hair's blonde.”

“It's dyed,” Felicity admitted. “I'm a natural brunette.”

Shaking her head at the other woman, Laurel smiled. Then she focused back on Oliver. “But that still doesn't explain why you made Felicity go through the press line with you. You've never had a problem mugging for the camera all by yourself.”

Felicity cocked her head to the side and pursed her lips in an 'I told you so' expression. Oliver rolled his eyes. “Felicity's my EA. She makes a perfectly acceptable companion for this event.”

“Technically I'm still IT,” Felicity pointed out. Now Oliver threw her an exasperated look.

“EA's do not do the press line, Ollie,” Laurel said.

“THIS!” Felicity repeated.

Oliver looked down at her and lifted that damn attractive brow again. “Are you ashamed to be seen with me?”

Felicity's eye widened. “In the tabloids? Yes!” She turned and leaned closer against him. “You do not know my mother, Oliver. I'm going to get a hysterical phone call tomorrow about why I never tell her anything about my life, why her baby was with Oliver Queen and she had to see it in the papers, and why I didn't bother to show more leg!”

Oliver smirked. “You do have great legs.” His hand slid from her lower back down over her hip and to rest high on the side of her thigh.

Felicity wasn't sure if the sound that escaped her mouth was an “Eep” or a squawk, but she knew it wasn't charity dinner appropriate. She glared up at her date. “Do you like your fingers attached?”

Before Oliver could reply, Laurel cleared her throat. “As much fun as watching this romantic comedy routine is, you're drawing more attention than we might want to deal with.”

Oliver never took his eyes from Felicity's. He shrugged and slowly slid his hand back to rest on her lower back. Felicity moved away from him slightly. She thought about trying to disengage his hand altogether...he kept TOUCHING her tonight for some reason...but she knew he was in just pissy enough of a mood to fight her on it. 

As if he could read her thoughts Oliver smiled again. His thumb stroked back and forth over the thin fabric covering her back. Felicity held his gaze and tried to ignore the sensation. She didn't smile. She didn't know what was going on with him and it was starting to irritate her. This couldn't all be about that stupid conversation, could it? 

“I feel like there should be dramatic music rising in the background,” Riley spoke for the first time. He looked at Laurel. “Are they always like this?”

Laurel sighed. “No idea. I'm a recent addition. Oliver's been snowing me since he got back from the island. I don't think he can help himself anymore.”

Cutting his eyes briefly to the lawyer but not disputing her words, Oliver nodded toward the crowd now moving toward the formal dining room. He guided Felicity gently in that direction. Laurel and Riley fell in behind them.

========== 

They'd only been in the dining room for a few minutes when Felicity's slayer senses started tingling. It was like an itch beneath her skin. She tried to fight back the feeling but it was everything she could do to maintain her conversation with Oliver and Laurel and not turn to assess the threat. She forced herself to wait for a break in the banter before giving in to the inevitable and glancing over her shoulder. Her eyes locked with Cross'. “Frack!”

Oliver and Laurel fell silent. Oliver's hand stroked her back more firmly and he tilted his head in her direction. “Felicity?”

“I...” she pursed her lips and shook her head, “it's nothing. I thought I recognized someone.”

Oliver frowned. “Who?” He started to turn in the direction she'd been looking, but Felicity elbowed him in the side to get him to stop. She tried her best force persuasion on him. “It's nothing...really.” She turned back to Laurel. “What comedic anecdote were we on again?”

Riley smiled at her. “You really don't quit, do you?”

Felicity grimaced. “Everyone has a talent. Foot-in-mouth is only one of mine.”

The others let her slip go for the moment, but she knew Oliver had filed it away. The smile might be plastered back across his face, but his eyes were scanning everyone who came into sight. He also slide his arm firmly around the curve of her waist and anchored her to his body, his broad chest covering most of her back. Felicity was sure that was sending exactly the message they wanted to Starling's high society; especially considering Laurel Lance (most likely candidate for love of Oliver's life) stood as witness to the entire display with only an amused eyebrow lift as her reaction. 

With her senses now engaged, Felicity could feel Cross maneuvering the room behind them. She felt the other woman's eyes on her, felt her assessing the situation and the body language being displayed by their little group. It made Felicity want to shout a denial to her new friend. This was SO not what it looked like! 

Oliver was...he was being weird and protective and possessive...but he didn't really mean it, right? Oliver was her friend. He had put her firmly in the 'friend zone' and Felicity had packed away all her hurt and regret over that situation months ago. Felicity was no Lance girl. She wasn't cool and perfect and sophisticated like Laurel, nor was she earthy and raw and sexy like Sara. Felicity was quirky. She was awkward and mouthy and funny in a pinch. She was SO not Oliver Queen's type. So what was the damn man playing at? How dare he start erasing all those thick solid lines he'd drawn between them the year before. He'd have Cross thinking he was really interested in her! And then Cross would tell Dare...and then Dare would get that constipated look he got any time she brought up Oliver...and once again Oliver Queen was complicating her life! 

Felicity knew she was letting her anxiety get away from her but she couldn't seem to stop it. She felt like she was about to jump out of her skin. Later tonight she was going to be sitting in the lair directing Team Arrow toward their meet with Team Slayer. Oliver and Dare were going to be in the same room and Felicity wasn't entirely sure that wouldn't lead to an explosion the likes of which Starling had never seen and she'd lived through The Undertaking! Her life was like a runaway train and she was staring at the end of the tracks! And if the slaying stuff mixing with the Arrow stuff wasn't enough, now she had to deal with Oliver and his long looks and his touching and his saying all the right things that she'd wanted to hear for FOREVER, but that she couldn't trust because he was OLIVER and he'd labeled her as his cute little IT girl a long long time ago!

Felicity felt her eyes smart with tears and she didn't even know where the hell that was coming from! She was losing her fracking mind!

“Felicity?” Laurel's voice was concerned. She reached out to lay her hand on Felicity's arm. “Are you okay?”

“I...” she honestly didn't know. This pressure had been building for days as everything in her life spun wildly out of her control. Felicity didn't know if she'd ever be okay again. How was she supposed to handle all this? It was too much! It wasn't just one thing changing, it was everything changing all at once! And no one except her knew the whole story and they were all going to be SO mad at her when they found out...but she hadn't known what to do! What was she supposed to do? She'd tried her best to keep it all together. She'd tried to keep going...keep getting up in the morning, keep fulfilling her obligations and protecting her secrets new and old...because what else was she supposed to do? She didn't know what to do!

“Hey,” Oliver's voice was whisper soft and concerned. He pulled her further in front of him. Laurel and Riley situated themselves around the two of them to block her mostly from view. Oliver leaned his head down toward her shoulder and spoke directly into her ear. “Breathe, Felicity. I've got you. You're okay.”

Felicity made a sound half-laugh/half-sob. “Sure...sure I am.”

“You are,” Oliver told her soothingly. He slid his arm around her waist in front of her body. He held her snugly against him. “Whatever it is, whatever is going on, you are going to be okay. We are going to be okay.”

She thought about all the secrets she was keeping. She thought about the increasing supernatural activity in Starling and how she'd been told it was only getting started. She thought about everything that could go wrong...

And then she felt Oliver's solid presence at her back...his arm around her waist...his breath on her ear. She KNEW Oliver cared about her. She knew he would never abandon her. She'd been blindly ignoring...or deliberately misreading?...all his signals lately. He'd hurt her in the past and with everything else going on, Felicity hadn't wanted to deal with Oliver on top of it. He'd made her wait, dammit, so he could just sit the frack back and hit pause while she took some time to deal with her own issues for once. Oliver Queen didn't hold the patent on fracked up! 

But now...now she NEEDED him! Felicity needed his support and his understanding. She hated lying to him and she didn't want to do it anymore. She didn't want to pretend. She didn't want to ignore. It was getting harder and harder for her to push aside those stupid perfect things that he said and how good he felt beside her...or behind her in this case but whatever. The point was that Felicity was tired of juggling, she was tired of hiding from her family and she was tired of running from her feelings. Felicity was just tired! There was too much shit going on, too many uncertain dangerous situations sitting in front of them, for her to allow all this to pile up between them. Life was too damn short and she was not about to be all OLIVER about it and put hers on hold until the time was right...or even worse push the people she loved away for their own protection. Frack that!

Drawing in a shaky breath, Felicity looked up again and locked her eyes with Laurel's. The brunette was worried, sincerely worried, about her. She was stroking her hand up and down Felicity's arm. Laurel was...she was actually starting to be a friend now. How had everything changed so fast?

And Oliver...he was still talking soothingly in her ear. He was reassuring her, telling her she was alright, reminding her to breathe. He was a rock of warm and solid strength behind her both physically and metaphorically. His lips brushed her temple. “I've got you, Felicity. You can trust me.”

“Can I?” Felicity asked. Could she trust him not to hurt her again? No one could promise that. But...but could she trust that he wasn't playing with her emotions? That he would never willingly toy with her in such a way? Could she trust him with her secrets? Could she expect him to stand with her against whatever was coming? 

As if he sensed his answer was more important than he'd anticipated, Oliver paused. He carefully turned Felicity in his arms and met her eyes. Lifting one hand he cupped her cheek and stroked her skin with his thumb. His eyes burned with intensity. He leaned forward to rest his forehead against hers but never broke her gaze. “Yes,” he told her softly, “I can't lose you. I won't.”

Felicity took in a deep breath and when she blew it back out she released all the tension she'd felt boiling inside of her. She nodded, still feeling a little shaky, and her forehead rubbed against Oliver's with the movement. She pursed her lips and lifted her brows. “Okay, Queen, but just remember...you asked for it.”

His eyes sparked with amusement despite the seriousness of the situation and his lips ticked. “Talk to me, Felicity.”

Rolling her eyes and chuckling at the inside joke, Felicity finally pulled back and turned back around. She smiled reassuringly at Laurel and a little more awkwardly at Riley. Then she scanned the room until she met the eyes she knew were still watching. Cross cocked a brow and Felicity nodded in acceptance. The exotic brunette walked forward to join them; her massive hulk of a boyfriend following along behind her. The couple stopped a few feet from their group. Cross smile at Oliver and Laurel who were suspicious and confused.

Felicity cleared her throat. “Oliver, Laurel, Riley...this is my new friend Cross Garza and her boyfriend Case.”

“Jeremy Cason,” Cross corrected with a smile.

Felicity nodded. “Her boyfriend Jeremy Cason. Cross is the owner of 'The Bronze',” she went on to explain, “and for the last few days she's been helping me train.”

Laurel stiffened at the first part of that statement. She remembered Felicity doing research on the other woman. Oliver, however, focused on the second part. His eyes narrowed on Cross and he looked her up and down assessingly.

Felicity ignored both their reactions. She pushed forward with the introductions. “Cross, Case...these are my friends Oliver Queen and Laurel Lance and Oliver's old friend Riley Finn.”

Riley chuckled lightly when she said his name. He shook his head and when he looked back to Felicity his expression was knowing. “No introductions necessary in my case. We've already met.”

Felicity forced a smile...oh goody...

==========


	17. Chapter Sixteen

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Team Arrow meets Cross and Case as Felicity stands by in horror. Riley has fun watching the show. Oliver and Felicity take on Baker's mainframe and catch up on some current issues, but an unexpected surprise cuts their interaction short.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Hey guys! I surprised even myself with how quickly I wrote this one. I guess I was just excited...lol. Thanks again to everyone who commented on the last chapter. You guys always make me smile and you relieved my anxiety over last chapter's emotional roller coaster. I'm hoping you'll enjoy this one as well. I had a blast writing it. We're starting to move into more of the supernatural arena and I can't help but get more and more excited the closer we get to the big reveal. PLEASE let me know what you think and send any questions or comments my way. You guys rock!
> 
> Also, I don't know that anyone will care, but I've started a playlist where I'm adding songs that evoke (to me at least) the tone and feeling of the story. It keeps my muse moving along. If anyone wants to check it out feel free! https://8tracks.com/hellbrat/abo-playlist
> 
> Thanks again and I hope you guys enjoy!
> 
> Disclaimer: I own NOTHING!...except Cross and Case and Dare...

==========

“So, Ms. Garza...”

“Call me Cross,” the brunette interrupted Oliver with a small smile.

Oliver flashed her his full-watt playboy smile in return. “Of course, Cross then,” he lifted one brow in challenge, “you're a fully qualified personal trainer as well as being a club owner?”

Felicity whimpered quietly and wished the floor would open up and swallow her. Laurel rolled her eyes and Riley watched the exchange with glee.

Cross' eyes filled with laughter and her smile grew. “I am a woman of many talents.”

“I'm just curious about Felicity's training program,” Oliver shrugged as though the question was out of idle curiosity and not pigheaded determination. “I know you've taught her a kempo kata. I just wondered if you intended to continue focusing primarily in that discipline or to provide a more well-rounded program of mixed martial arts.”

Cross lifted a brow and turned her laughing eyes on Felicity. Felicity groaned in embarrassment and tried to pretend she was invisible. Laurel actually looked somewhat interested in the answer...because of course Ms. Wants-to-be-a-Vigilante was. And Riley? Riley was smiling so wide Felicity worried his face might get stuck that way.

Speaking up for the first time, Case tilted his head to the side. “You doubting Cross is qualified to train your girl?” His voice was that same deep husky rumble that made every female tummy flip and tumble. That voice, combined with his massive bulk showcased in a perfectly tailored tux, made quite the impression. Laurel was now staring at him a little gap-jawed. Felicity could sympathize.

Oliver, of course, remained undaunted. He shrugged. “Felicity is a dear friend. I take her personal defense very seriously. It's important that she has the right trainer so she's taught good habits and is prepared to use that training should the situation arise.”

Felicity decided that was going too far. “You suggested ROY!” She poked him in the stomach with her finger.

Oliver smirked and rolled his eyes. “I would never let you be trained by Roy. Myself or John however...”

Laurel shook her head. “You are ridiculous, Ollie.” She turned to smile apologetically at Cross. “Don't mind him. Oliver has unresolved control issues. I believe they stem from his being overly spoiled as a child and a continued lack of discipline throughout his formative years. Perhaps you recognize him from the tabloids?”

Oliver glared at Laurel unamused.

Case was still looking over Oliver. He didn't seem very impressed with what he found. “Didn't you pee on a cop?”

Oliver stiffened and plastered back on his fake smile. “We all had misadventures in our youth.”

Felicity looked at him wide-eyed because really? They didn't all pee on cops.

Laurel snorted. “My misadventure was dating you.”

Case shrugged taking her statement seriously. “I was more into illegal extreme sports, but sure.”

Cross grinned joining the game. “Sneaking out dressed as a boy myself.”

“Cow-tipping,” Riley admitted reluctantly.

Felicity smiled because why not? “I was a goth.” To Cross, of course, this wasn't news, but Oliver, Laurel, and Riley were stunned.

Case let out a loud deep chuckle. “Little Mary Sunshine was a goth? THIS I need to see.”

< PLEASE tell me there's photo evidence! > Roy's voice in her ear made Felicity jump. She'd completely forgotten for a moment exactly where they were and why they were there. She'd also forgotten that Digg and Roy could hear their conversation. The boys had obviously kept their comms muted to avoid distracting the group in play and blowing their cover, but Roy could only take so much.

< ROY! > John's voice was a warning.

< Oh, come on, like you wouldn't pay for those pics! >

Felicity tried to regain her focus and tune back into the conversation. Then she happened to look up and lock eyes with her mentor...her mentor who was something supernatural...her mentor with very very good hearing. Felicity whimpered and tried to smile her way through it. Cross just lifted one brow.

“I'm only pointing out that in the unlikely event Felicity does find herself in a dangerous situation and have to defend herself,” Oliver was apparently still harping on the trainer thing, “I would feel...better...if I knew that she was properly trained in self-defense.”

< Who is he kidding? > Roy snorted.

Felicity could hear the smile in Riley's voice. “Oliver, do you take blood pressure medication?”

Oliver's playboy mask slipped for a moment and he turned his Arrow glare on Riley. “No.”

Riley nodded. “You might want to consider it.” Felicity wanted to kick the soldier...HARD!

==========

Felicity stood silent behind Oliver and waited as he picked the lock on Baker's office door. She couldn't believe they were still doing this. She couldn't believe they were getting away with this. There was no way Cross didn't realize they'd left the dining room together. The other woman was seated away from their party, but her eyes had continued to follow Felicity throughout the meal. She'd definitely heard their comm chatter earlier and she was suspicious/curious about what was going on.

And yet...Felicity knew Cross would never blow her cover before she was ready. She knew she could trust the other woman completely. It was a strange but comforting realization. Cross wouldn't be particularly happy when she found out Oliver was the Arrow, Dare would be flat-out pissed, but Felicity knew they would deal with it together. They wouldn't abandon her, they wouldn't demand she abandon her other team. That wasn't how Cross and Dare operated. They worked with who she was. They didn't try to change her.

“Felicity?” Oliver's whisper shook her from her thoughts. She looked up to see him wave her into the open door.

Pushing her personal chaos aside, Felicity focused on the mission. She hurried into the room, around the desk, and into the chair. Within seconds she was typing away and in her zone. “John, I'm cracking the mainframe now,” she spoke to her other partner via comm.

< Ready to receive package. >

As she continued slipping her way through Baker's security settings, Felicity could feel Oliver's eyes on her from where he leaned back against the wall by the door. She ignored the sensation. Now was not the time.

“So, you and Laurel seem to be getting along better,” apparently the vigilante didn't agree with her theory.

Pulling a thumb drive out of her handbag, the blonde hacker plugged it into an open USB slot and typed in the command to upload one of her personal viruses (which she only used for the forces of good of course). The virus would make quick work of Baker's firewalls. Then she could compile the information relevant to the group's illegal dealings, compress it, and send it off to Digg back at the lair.

Giving the virus time to work its magic, Felicity finally looked up at Oliver. She pointedly reached up to mute her comm. After he copied the motion, she cocked her head to the side. “If you mean bonding over you being an asshole, then yes...we're practically besties.”

Oliver made a face. “That's...good.”

Felicity sighed and looked back down at the monitor. “I don't think you're an asshole, Oliver.” But that didn't sound quite right either. She frowned and bit her lip. “Or actually yes I do. I mean, you are an asshole, but...” she shrugged, “you're my asshole...if that makes any sense.” Then she realized what she'd said. Her eyes widened and she looked back up at him. “I mean, not MY my asshole...you aren't like MINE or anything, but...I put up with you and your crap and you put up with me and mine. Cause that's what friends do.” She tried to explain. “Friends put up with each other and their...crap.”

Oliver's lips ticked. “Even assholes need friends?”

The blonde could actually feel her face heating up with a blush. She hated her mouth on some days...like the ones that ended in y. “You know what I mean, Oliver. I like you the way you are.” She waved a hand at him. “I put up with your crazy overprotective and anal ways and you put with me being an awkward quirky know-it-all. It's how we roll.”

Oliver's eyes danced. “Now I'm an asshole and I'm anal?” He lifted one brow. “Do you have a fixation there, Felicity?”

Felicity's mouth dropped open. “Shut up!” Oliver actually chuckled at her. She glared at him and pursed her lips. “My fixation is not on your ass!” She winced. “Not that it isn't a very nice ass, but...” she winced again. “Your ass is none of my business!” She pointed at him and shook her finger. “Behave!” She determinedly focused back on her work. Her face was still on fire. Damn that man!

A few minutes later Felicity was compressing the data and getting it ready to send off to John. She tapped back on her comm. “Package incoming.” After releasing the package, she started backing out of the system and erasing her tracks. She pulled her thumb drive loose and slipped it back in her purse.

< Package received. I'll unzip the data and contact Lance. Get out of there. >

“Understood,” Oliver answered this time.

Felicity stood and walked around the desk to join him. He opened the door and peaked around the corner. Giving the all clear, he motioned Felicity forward. She moved to pass him in the doorway, but he stopped her with an arm across the frame. She froze and looked up at him confused. He was close...very very close to her. His electric blue eyes focused on hers. This time he didn't smile. “Finn seems to be paying you a lot of attention.”

And this was relevant now because? Felicity frowned. “I guess. It's flattering. Riley's nice enough and plenty fun to look at.”

Oliver's eyes tightened briefly and flared with an emotion Felicity refused to put a name to. “You don't seem to be flirting back.”

And Felicity had had enough, because really? Sometimes she wanted to bash Oliver's thick skull up against a wall...which would probably only hurt the wall. She crossed her arms over her chest, canted her head to the side, and glared up at him. “That's because I'm not in high school, Oliver, and I'm not going to lead someone on just to make you jealous. I'm a big girl. I know what I want.”

Those blue eyes flashed again and Felicity watched them move to her lips. She hated to break it to him, but if he tried to kiss her for the first time on a mission she was going to knee him in the balls and with her new slayer status she might cause permanent damage.

Oliver leaned in slightly and two things happened at once:

Roy's voice sounded in their ears. < Dude, you have absolutely no game. I'm embarrassed for you. >

And a fire alarm started blaring sending them hurrying back toward the dining room and then out the nearest exits.

Oliver's disgruntled expression as he escorted her out told Felicity he had no idea that he'd just gotten very very lucky.

By the time they'd located Laurel and Riley in the chaos outside the mansion, both Felicity and Oliver had cooled off. Felicity nodded to the other woman who moved quickly to her side. The blonde IT genius looked over the crowd. “The press are having a field day with this,” she noted.

Laurel gave a small laugh. “There's always some fame-hungry heiress willing to burst into fake tears for the cameras.”

“What happened?” Oliver, it seemed, was not in the mood for small talk.

Laurel frowned. “It was strange, actually. Riley and I were talking to Cross and her boyfriend again. I asked if she'd be willing to let me watch one of your training sessions.”

Felicity bit back a groan. She could just imagine how that conversation had gone. Riley was grinning in Felicity's direction.

“Laurel,” Oliver tried to get the lawyer back to the point.

Laurel glared at him. “What Ollie? I think it might be nice to train with a woman for a change.”

“The fire,” Oliver spoke through gritted teeth.

“OH,” Laurel shook herself, “right. Sorry. Anyway, we were talking to Cross, but we were also keeping an eye on the hallway you two went down in case you needed a distraction.”

“She was doing that,” Riley said. “I'm just her date.”

Laurel rolled her eyes. “The point is that you did need a distraction.” She focused on Felicity instead of Oliver. “Two of Baker's goons started heading for the hallway.”

“Did you start a fire?” Oliver hissed.

Laurel glared at him in disgust. “Why do I associate with you?” She turned back to Felicity. “I was just about to do something drastic when suddenly a cushion caught fire on the other side of the room. The alarm went off and distracted the guards. It was crazy.”

Felicity frowned confused. “Why was it crazy?”

“There was nothing burning near the cushion,” Laurel explained. “There were no candles nearby, no fireplace, no electrical cords. How did the cushion catch fire? It doesn't make sense.”

“I know,” Riley nodded still smiling. His eyes locked with Felicity's and they glowed with intensity. “It was almost like...magic.”

Felicity froze. It was almost like magic...or it was magic? Oliver shifted beside her and she knew he'd picked up on the undertone as well.

“It was crazy,” Laurel apparently had not.

< You guys heading back? > Digg's voice sounded in their ears. < We can discuss this further here. SCPD are in route. >

Oliver nodded to Laurel and then turned to escort Felicity toward the car with his hand on her back. “Let's move.”

==========

 

 


	18. Chapter Seventeen

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Riley accidentally causes a fateful reveal to Team Arrow and the fallout may change all their lives from this point forward.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Thanks, once again, for all your wonderful feedback! I'm so thrilled that you guys are enjoying my story. I hope I don't let you down as things really start gearing up to the good parts. I will try to respond to everyone's feedback on the last chapter at some point today. They really mean the world to me. :-)
> 
> This chapter decided to go where it wanted to and NOT where I planned. I'm nervous as hell about this one...lol...so please let me know what you think. I don't want to spoil anything, but yea...
> 
> Dum...Dum....DUMMMMMMM!
> 
> Disclaimer: I own NOTHING!...except Cross and Dare and Case...

========== 

The air was thick with tension as the foursome made their way back into the lair. Digg and Roy were waiting on them. Felicity edged her way around Oliver and headed for her workstation. Her nerves were strung tight and she needed to do something. She started several searches into supernatural creatures and spontaneous combustion. If this was a new enemy they needed to know what they were facing and how to fight it. 

Oliver channeled his frustration in another direction. He turned on Riley. “Was it you?”

“Was what Riley?” Laurel questioned.

Oliver ignored her. He stared Riley down waiting for an answer or an explanation. 

Felicity paused, her head snapping toward the confrontation. A part of her wanted to tell Oliver to back off, but honestly? She needed that answer herself. Riley didn't feel supernatural in any way, but she didn't know if she'd ever encountered a witch or what her senses would make of one when she did. Something caused that cushion to catch fire and he obviously knew what.

Digg moved to stand beside Oliver. He crossed his massive arms over his chest and stared down Riley as well. “You're holding out on us man. We trusted you.”

“I...” his eyes flickered to Felicity and then back to Oliver, “I'm not trying to yank your chain. I didn't even have the whole story until earlier tonight. The situation is more complicated than I realized.”

“Was it you?” Oliver repeated.

“NO!” Riley assured them. “I'm completely human, Queen. I have no powers or special abilities. All I have is years of training.”

“But the fire was magic,” Oliver forced.

“It was?” Laurel was extremely confused. She looked to Felicity for confirmation. Felicity shrugged. She assumed but she wasn't in the room when it went down. 

“The fire was magical,” Riley confirmed.

“And you know who was responsible,” Oliver said.

And, once again, Riley looked at Felicity. He didn't turn away this time. He met her stare and she saw the apology he couldn't voice...and that's when she knew. “It was Cross.” The words were out of her mouth before she even realized what she was saying. Oliver's eyes locked on her. Felicity winced. “And that probably should have been an inside realization and not one I shared with the class.”

“She's a witch?” Oliver said outraged. He took a step toward Felicity. “You're getting training from a witch?”

Felicity made another face. “I don't actually know what she is?”

“Is that why you were researching her?” Laurel wondered.

Now Oliver cocked his head to the side. Felicity could practically see him putting the pieces together. He was replaying all of their conversations over the last few days. 

Riley, on the other hand, was staring at Felicity in disbelief. “You don't know what Cross is?' He turned to Oliver. “And no, she's not a witch.”

“WHAT IS SHE?!?” Oliver demanded.

“OLIVER!” Felicity stood up and glared at him. “Calm down and breathe! If Cross started the fire then we are in the same condition we were earlier tonight. Cross isn't a threat. She's an ally.” She turned to Riley. “And no, I don't know what Cross is yet. They said it wasn't relevant.” She heard Oliver making a choking noise and pursed her lips. “But I KNOW I can trust her,” she told him. “Cross would never hurt me. She's an ally. She's my friend.”

“This is what's been going on with you,” Digg realized. He shook his head. “Felicity, what have you gotten yourself into? Why didn't you come to us with this?”

“If this woman is an ally,” Oliver seethed, “then why wouldn't she tell you what she was, Felicity? She's hiding things from you! She started a fire!”

“She saved your ass,” Roy pointed out. Several pair of glaring eyes turned in his direction. He threw up his hands. “I'm just saying. You were going to get made. She distracted the guards.”

“And the fire was small and contained,” Laurel added. “Nothing burned but the cushion. No one was in any real danger.”

“SHE'S SUPERNATURAL!” Oliver yelled. “She's dangerous!”

“SO AM I!” And everyone froze. You could have heard a pin drop as every set of eyes in the room locked on her. Felicity's hands started to shake. She curled them into fists and hugged herself protectively. “So if being supernatural makes you a threat, then you can add my name to your new list.” She couldn't look at them...at him. She couldn't make herself look at the expressions on their faces. What if they rejected her? What if they couldn't deal with this? What if it was finally too much?

She stared down at her station. She took in a deep breath and blew it out trying to calm herself down. She'd known this was going to be a disaster...she'd just...she'd hoped for more time...for some way to make it okay...to prepare them and help them understand. She'd run out of time.

“Felicity...” she felt Digg's hand land on her arm and jerked away instinctively. “Hey,” his voice was rumbly and soft. She felt him step closer again. He wrapped his arm around her and pulled her against him. “Talk to me, Smoak. You know we love you. We've been through worse than this. We've got your back.”

Felicity tilted up her head and forced herself to meet his eyes...those beautiful deep Diggle eyes. He looked...concerned, but not angry. He hugged her closer against him. “Talk to me.”

“Cross isn't a threat,” Felicity told him. It was important to her that they know that. Cross and Dare...they'd kept her sane through this last week. They'd helped her keep her head above water. Without them she'd be curled up in the fetal position in a corner somewhere talking to the stars. “She hasn't told me what she is because she didn't want to overwhelm me. I haven't been handling all this very well.” Her eyes welled with tears and a sad laugh escaped her throat. “I never wanted this. This wasn't supposed to happen to me.”

“What happened?” Oliver asked. Felicity saw John glare a warning at Oliver to shut his mouth, but she never looked away from her surrogate big brother. She couldn't look at Oliver right now. She just couldn't. 

“I broke my alarm clock,” she answered his question anyway, but she kept her eyes on Digg, “and then my glasses didn't work.” She gave a watery huff of a laugh. Her chest hurt and she felt numb but hypersensitive at the same time. Was she going into shock?

“Okay,” Digg nodded encouragingly, “the day you broke your glasses. That was Wednesday, right?”

Felicity nodded at first, but then she shook her head. “No...no, I didn't break them. They just stopped working.” She shrugged. “Perfect eyesight.”

“Super-sight,” Laurel remembered.

Felicity flinched. She blocked out the other woman's voice. She couldn't deal with that right now. Digg squeezed her again and drew her attention back to him. “But you got your glasses fixed, didn't you?” he was confused.

“Clark Kent glasses,” Felicity answered. “I got them fitted with clear lenses.”

Roy chuckled somewhere in the background. “Only you, Blondie.”

Felicity shrugged again. “Oliver likes my glasses.” Okay, she was definitely going into shock. There was no way she'd admit that without alcohol. Oliver made another choked noise that she couldn't let herself react to, and Laurel growled in disgust. Felicity forced herself to keep talking. “I didn't really believe it until I bent the baseball bat and then I accidentally threw it through my bedroom wall,” she frowned, “I still need to fix that.”

Riley cleared his throat, obviously trying to move things along. “Why didn't you activate with the spell, Felicity? You were still a kid, but Buffy said they had a six-year-old.”

The blonde felt Digg stiffen behind her as the final pieces slotted into place. He got it now. Judging by the cursing coming from Oliver's direction he understood as well. Felicity sighed and rested her head back against Digg. “I was eleven. They don't know what went wrong with me. It just...didn't happen. They found me in Vegas and tried to talk my mom into putting me into their protection anyway, but mom wasn't having it,” she smiled at the memory. She and her mother might have their issues but the Smoak women stuck together. “She threatened to report them for kidnapping or child abuse. Said she'd tell her story to every news network she could find. Lied and said her boss was in the mob and she'd have him put a hit out on them.”

“Mamma Smoak is a badass,” Roy noted.

“It makes the Council sound bad,” Riley said, “but you have to understand that there had been minions of The First Evil hunting down potentials and killing them. At the time, Buffy wasn't sure the spell would stop that. The Bringers wouldn't have cared that Felicity was innocent, or a child, or that she couldn't fight them. That just made her easier to kill.”

Felicity opened her eyes and looked at Riley. “They stationed a team of slayers in Vegas. I...I never asked, but I think they watched out for me.”

Riley nodded with a smile. “I'm sure.”

“I don't know why I activated now,” Felicity continued. “They don't know either. Cross believes something is coming and that I couldn't afford not to be a slayer anymore.”

“It makes sense,” Riley told her and his tone was sympathetic. “All the intel we've gathered says the supernatural has finally decided to take notice of Starling. The Council's afraid they may be looking at a new hellmouth. They destroyed one in Durban, South Africa late last year and it usually doesn't take too long for another one to pop up.”

“The balance has to be maintained,” Felicity realized.

Riley nodded. “It's a frustrating fact of our lives. We'll never fully destroy the evil or beat back the darkness until the End Wars. And none of us are particularly in a hurry to get to those.”

“The End Wars as in...” Laurel's voice was shaky.

“The end of the world,” Riley confirmed. “The final battles between the Armies of Light and the Armies of Darkness.”

Roy snorted, but Felicity could hear the fear he was covering. “Yea, let's avoid those as long as possible.”

“And whatever is happening now in Starling,” Laurel spoke slowly, “it caused Felicity to get turned into one of these slayers?”

“Vampire slayer,” Riley said. “But it didn't turn her into anything. Felicity's always had the potential inside of her. She is a slayer. As Giles loves to say 'there's a reason why this happened and a reason why it's now'.”

“Destiny,” Felicity agreed with a sour expression. 

Digg sighed. He hugged Felicity a little closer and rubbed his chin across the top of her head. “You tried to tell us, didn't you? You were trying to tell us this morning.”

“And I interrupted her,” Riley winced. He met Felicity's eyes again. “I'm sorry about that. I didn't know.”

Felicity sighed. “I should have told them sooner. I just...I didn't know where to start. It all sounds ridiculous unless you know about the supernatural. And our lives weren't exactly normal before destiny decided to add monsters to the menu.” She frowned. “It never occurred to me that Oliver would have run across vampires before. It should have. I should have told them as soon as things started going cross-eyed.”

“Felicity,” Riley smiled at her reassuringly, “you're being too hard on yourself. You found this out Wednesday?” She nodded. “And you didn't even keep them in the dark for a week. Buffy lied to her mother for YEARS! This isn't an easy secret to drop on someone. Humans, sometimes especially those trained as fighters and warriors in their own right, do not tend to take the supernatural well. They don't like feeling weak. They don't like dealing with things that are out of their control or realm of understanding.”

“What do you mean?” Oliver was still in full-on Arrow-mode.

“Case in point,” Riley drawled. He rolled his eyes. “I mean,” his expression turned pained and ashamed, “remember that secret project that I worked for? The Initiative?” He reached up a hand and rubbed at the back of his neck. “Well at one point they went after Buffy. Because as far as Walsh was concerned Buffy was just another HST. She wasn't entirely human and Walsh couldn't explain or control her. Therefore, Buffy was a threat and Walsh wanted her neutralized.”

“You're saying there could be people after Felicity too?” Roy asked.

A loud crash sounded through the room and Felicity jerked.

“OLIVER!” Laurel yelled. “Calm down!”

“What if A.R.G.U.S. gets a hold of her?” Oliver growled. He stormed around her station. “John...”

“We're not gonna let that happen, man,” Digg seemed to be speaking to both Oliver and Felicity. 

“Hey!” Riley tried to draw their attention back to him. “This isn't fifteen years ago. There are organizations in place to protect slayers, Oliver. Organizations that even A.R.G.U.S. does not want to fuck with.” He started counting them off on his fingers. “The Council, Elite, The Black Tide..trust me man,” he stepped forward to face the vigilante, “these people do not play. Protecting this world and protecting their champions are their number one priorities. THIS is why you need allies.” He looked back to Felicity. “Allies like Cross Garza.”

Felicity blew out another long breath. She nodded. “And allies like Dare McKinney.”

Riley smirked and shrugged. “Never actually had the honor of meeting Dare before...so this meet should be interesting.”

Felicity thought about her other mentor. “He's...” she smiled despite herself, “he's Dare.”

“WHO is this Dare exactly?” Oliver growled.

Now Riley gave a full-bodied belly laugh. “Oh, I have a feeling you two are gonna love each other, Queen. We'll be lucky if you both walk away with all your limbs.”

==========


	19. Chapter Eighteen

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> As the time for the meet draws near, Felicity finds that Oliver still can't help trying to protect her. She has to try to find a balance between allaying his fears and stepping up to claim her rightful place in the fight to come.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Hey guys! Once again, I was blown away by the positive response to the last chapter. I couldn't help but be nervous. The big "slayer" reveal was bound to make me nervous anyway and then I actually didn't intend for Felicity to let that rabbit out of the hat yet. I'm so glad everyone seemed to enjoy it. We still have some surprises coming your way, but at least one secret it out there. I really appreciate all your reviews! Thank you so much! I will try to respond to everyone at some point today. I have some errands to run, but I will get there...lol.
> 
> Storyline wise: I want to note that I'm not actually sure of what the standard amount of time is for a vampire to rise. I don't know that it was ever really made clear on the show. Sometimes there were bus wrecks and the victims rose the next night before they were even buried. Jesse seemed to turn in less than a day. Yet many times the newborns were crawling their way out of graves while Buffy sat waiting. I can't believe all those newborns were buried immediately for religious reasons. SO...for the purposes of my story, most possessed vampires take approximately two days to rise (giving them time to be buried and therefore crawl out of their grave). Those poor/fortunate souls who were cremated? They never even started their vampire lives. Probably for the best, right?
> 
> I hope everyone enjoys this chapter! We are finally to the fateful Oliver/Dare meeting...lol. Your comments, questions, feedback of all kinds are more than welcome! You guys rock!
> 
> Oh, and I've created a tumblr which at this point basically consists of me posting when I update the story and liking stories I read or funny things I see. I'm still trying to get the hang of everything. My username is mshellbrat :-)
> 
> ========== 
> 
> Disclaimer: I own NOTHING!...except Cross and Dare and Case...
> 
> ==========

========== 

“What do you mean you're going as the Arrow?” The words were out of her mouth before Felicity could stop herself and her eyes locked on the stubborn vigilante. She realized too late this was the first time she'd actually looked at him since her earlier revelation. The relief in Oliver's expression said he noticed the significance as well. He took a step toward her before he caught himself and stopped.

Felicity could see he was eating himself up with guilt. She knew he would never intentionally hurt her and that he hadn't been attacking her with his reaction to Cross' supernatural status. Rationally she'd known that at the time. But it was all just too much. Fear wasn't rational. The idea of losing her team, her family, Oliver...the idea of their rejection was more than she could bear. The days of endless stress and one problem after another piling on top of each other...it had taken it's toll and Felicity had finally broken. 

Then as the anxiety slowly bled away and she got her fears under control, the embarrassment had set in. She'd basically subjected her entire team to a massive Felicity Smoak freak out. She'd stripped away what she liked to see as her tough no-nonsense outer-shell and exposed her insecure gooey center...and she'd done this in front of not only Oliver and Digg who she trusted implicitly, but Laurel Lance, Riley Finn (the almost stranger), and ROY.

So for the last forty-five minutes she'd avoided everyone's eyes and buried herself in her work and the prep for the meet. Everyone seemed to be giving her space...they weren't pushing and she appreciated that. She figured Digg had to be sending out some serious telepathic death threats at Oliver to keep him in line. Digg was one with the force. 

But this? This required comment. Because, really? “Oliver, you're going to a planned meet with supernatural professionals to ask for help...and you want to go armed to the teeth and masking your identity? That's not gonna inspire trust and goodwill!”

“They need to know who they're dealing with,” Oliver said.

“They're going to laugh at you,” Felicity pointed out. “If they don't kick your ass just on principle.” 

Oliver's mouth tightened and she knew he wanted to object strongly to that, but Riley beat him to the punch. “Actually they already know they're meeting the Arrow,” the soldier explained. “That's who I set up the meet for.” He motioned to Oliver. “I didn't tell them your public identity. I thought it might cost you some credibility.”

Oliver was looking more and more disgruntled, but Felicity was stuck on Riley's words. “Yea...Dare isn't a fan.” She shared a glance with the soldier and bit her lip. “Every time I bring up Oliver he gets all...” she wiggled her finger over her face, “snooty faced and starts muttering about me needing new friends.”

Riley chuckled. “I'll bet.”

Felicity scrunched up her face and reached up to pinch her nose. “I'm pretty sure he's going to ground me actually. I think 'don't hide your secret vigilante activities from your mentors' is probably in the slayer handbook.”

Riley smirked. “You know what rule number one is? Don't date vampires. And Buffy failed at that...a lot. Cut yourself some slack. You're doing fine.”

Felicity frowned confused because...Buffy DATED vampires? But then Digg's hand landed on her shoulder and she looked up at her partner. He smiled back. “You told them about us?”

“Of course,” Felicity confirmed. “you're my family. I left out our,” she motioned around her, “nighttime activities but they know who you are. They know I work for Oliver and that he's my friend and that you and I met through him and that Roy's dating Thea and he's like my annoying little brother. Oh!” She pointed to Roy. “And I want it noted when Thea gets the lowdown that I have not paid for a single drink from 'The Bronze'. I have not contributed to Cross' profits and have in fact been sucking down free red wine like a fiend!”

Roy grinned. “I'm sure she'll be relieved.”

Felicity made a face and canted her head to the side. “Not doing any good cause Cross is WAY loaded and the clubs are just a cover, but...I still support 'Verdant'!” She paused thoughtfully. “I could get that on a t-shirt and WEAR it to 'The Bronze'. Maybe then Thea will forgive me.”

The blonde genius waved her hands around in the air. “But back to the point...or well I just reminded myself anyway,” she looked back at Oliver, “Cross and Dare are totally going to know who you are when you show up with me. Going all,” she made air quotes “Arrow isn't going to do you any good.” She left out the fact that she was almost positive Cross had them made on the mission earlier. The woman heard them over comms, saw them leave the room, then created a fire as a distraction. 

“That's why you're staying here,” Oliver's voice was firm and serious.

Felicity's forehead scrunched and her mouth fell open. “Excuse me?”

Oliver crossed his arms over his chest. He was already kitted out in his leathers and bow. He'd suited up while she'd still been distracted and being all avoidy earlier. Now Felicity felt the need to scold him like a naughty little boy and tell him to put back up his costume and pull on his 'big boy' pants. Dare and Cross were NOT going to be impressed. “This is dangerous, Felicity. I want you safe until we've checked out the situation.”

Felicity's mind was blown. “Do you kid?” She looked desperately beside her at John. “Is he kidding?”

Digg sighed but he didn't immediately reassure her that Oliver wasn't actually being this stupid. He frowned at her instead. “We don't know these people, Felicity.”

“I KNOW THESE PEOPLE!” she used her loud voice.

“And we know that you trust them,” Digg assured her, “but this meet isn't about you.” She scoffed loudly, but he continued. “This is about an alliance between our two teams to take on the supernatural threat. It's a tense situation...”

“I can help with that!” Felicity told him.”I am the bridge between you and them.” She had to reason with Digg because Digg was capable of being reasonable. She didn't even bother trying with Oliver. When it came to her Oliver Queen was a guard dog. Rational didn't even factor into it. THIS was why she didn't want him finding out she was a slayer.

“We don't want you caught in the middle, Felicity,” Digg told her. “If things go south...”

“ARGGHHH!!!” Felicity threw her hands in the air. “Did you miss the slayer bit?” She looked around for some support, any support...and all she saw was a laughing Riley who was, once again, enjoying the show. Laurel looked deeply confused and Roy knew better than to put himself in the line of fire. JOHN was usually her rational support. What the frack was she supposed to do now? “I'm a slayer, John! If things go south, you'll need ME there to protect you!”

“Out of the question,” Oliver growled. He glared hard at her and rounded her station to put his finger in her face. “You will not put yourself in harm's way for me.”

Felicity got right back in his face. She swatted his finger out of the way and felt something wake up and roar inside of her. “You do not get to tell me what I will and will not do, Oliver! It is MY LIFE, MY CHOICE!”

“I will NOT have you in danger!” He yelled back.

And something in Felicity snapped. She reached out and grabbed the front of his leather jacket. She pulled the material tight into her right hand and yanked, lifting Oliver's entire body up off the floor. She heard shocked gasps sound around her, but she glared up into Oliver's wide eyes. “I don't know who lied and told you that you got a vote, but I am going to that meet! I didn't ask for your permission. Deal with it.” She released her grip and let him fall back to the floor. Then she stormed off toward the bathroom. She certainly wasn't meeting her mentors still dressed in a damn evening gown.

========== 

Felicity grumbled under her breath and shot nasty looks at John as she sat inside the back of the van and waited for the meet to start. Oh, she was there alright, but she wasn't allowed to join the proceedings until they'd verified Dare's intentions. She'd rolled her eyes so hard and so many times at this point that she'd given herself a headache.

Digg reached over and squeezed her hand where it was curled into a fist on her knee. “Just give him this, Felicity. He needs to feel like he has some kind of control.”

“He's losing his shit,” Felicity corrected him, “and he's being ridiculous.”

Digg nodded. “That too.”

Shooting John one more exasperated look, she moved over to sit in front of her laptop. She quickly pulled up the best view of the surrounding area she could access. She'd tried hacking the club to tap into their security feed, but their firewalls put A.R.G.U.S to shame for some reason...it was mildly insulting. It was like they were trying to keep her out or something. Reaching up, she tapped the comm in her ear. “Laurel?”

“I'm here,” the other woman answered, “but shouldn't you be using codenames? You said to use codenames.”

“You don't have one,” Digg pointed out.

“Well we need to work on that,” Laurel said. “You and Felicity need one too.”

“I'll be sure to bring that up at the next team meeting,” Digg drawled.

“Seriously?” Laurel sounded happy at the idea.

“We're moving in,” Oliver interrupted, “cut the chatter.”

Digg and Felicity immediately reached up and muted their comms. Felicity zoomed in on the alley beside 'The Bronze' where the meet was set. It wasn't a great view, but she could see the silhouettes of Oliver, Roy, and Riley appear. The alley looked otherwise empty as Riley lifted his cell phone to his ear and made a call. Then a door opened and out stepped Cross followed by Dare. They both paused to take in the vigilantes. 

Cross cocked her head to the side and sniffed the air. Then she huffed a laugh. “Game on.”

“Frack,” Felicity said, “they're made. She can smell him. I told him the hood was a stupid idea.”

“Oliver's full of those,” Digg agreed.

“He's going to have to drop the hood, John,” Felicity said. “If he shoots it straight they'll respect him more.”

“Hey,” Digg moved over and rested his hand on the blonde's shoulder, “I know this is important to you, but you need to breathe. You can't control this anymore than our boy can. Give him time. Let Finn mediate.”

Felicity buried her head in her hands. “I hate this!”

“Finn,” her head snapped back up as the voice of her mentor sounded through the comms. The two groups had moved more closely together. They were making the introductions. “This is Dare McKinney. Dare, you've heard of Riley Finn.”

Dare and Riley shook hands. “You're reputation precedes you. It's nice to meet you.”

“Likewise,” Riley said sincerely. “It's an honor.”

Dare looked to Oliver and Roy. “And your hooded friends?”

“This is the Arrow,” he motioned to Oliver before Roy, “and Arsenal, one of his partners.”

“One of?” Dare questioned.

“Oh that's where it gets really funny,” Cross drawled.

Riley ran his hand over his neck. “There was some concern as to the safety of the less field-ready members of the team. They're on comms.”

“Seriously?” Cross' voice dripped sarcasm.

“You want our help, our expertise, but you're not willing to face us unmasked?” Dare growled and stepped toward Oliver. “You think we give a fuck about exposing your little exploits? You don't even show up on our radar. For us to out you, you'd have to matter,” he stopped a few feet before the vigilante, “and you DON'T yet, Arrow. So man up and face us or go back to chasing one percenters and stop wasting our time. In less than an hour I've got a slayer to train and we've got a newborn rising tomorrow night. It's time to start staking shit.”

Felicity groaned and banged her head against her fist. Digg hit his comm. “Drop the hood, man. We tried it your way.”

“Listen to your partner,” Dare suggested. “He seems brighter than you.”

“Fine,” Oliver's voice was deep and distorted. He reached for his hood. 

Cross stepped up beside Dare. She bumped her shoulder against his. “Let's just remember you can't kill him, alright? Deep breaths and count to ten.”

“What?” Dare asked. And then Oliver pushed back his hood and pulled off his mask. An explosion of cursing filled the comms. When Felicity forced herself to look back at the feed she saw Cross patting Dare's back in sympathy. Her normally cool and calm male mentor started pacing back and forth in agitation and throwing his fists down at his sides. Then he spun and pointed at Oliver. “You have GOT to be fucking kidding me! She is NOT allowed to be friends with you!”

“Dare...” Cross tried to reel him in.

He spun and faced his friend, throwing his arms up in the air. “WHAT? It was bad enough when he was just some rich boy asswipe in the tabloids! Now he's playing LEGOLAS!” He stepped toward Cross. “She is NOT allowed to be friends with him! I'm going to KILL her!”

“Now let's all try to calm down,” Riley held his hands up in surrender and tried to move in between Dare and Oliver. “We're all on the same side here...”

Dare spun on the soldier. He got in his face. “Did you know he was connected to my slayer, Finn?”

“She's kinda,” Riley motioned back behind him, “in the van.”

“She's not YOUR anything!” Oliver growled and took a threatening step toward Dare.

“Yep,” Riley nodded and tried to keep the two alphas away from each other, “I just knew you two were going to get along.”

Cross shook her head. “While you two are busy taking turns measuring, I'm gonna clear out the club and close us down early.” She stepped next to Oliver and leaned up toward his ear. “Get your ass inside, Sweetie. You got some splainin' to do.”

==========


	20. Chapter Nineteen

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> As Felicity's two worlds collide she has to juggle loyalties and personalities.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Hey guys! Sorry for the longer than usual wait on this one. I'm back at work and it has been a bad week so far. I want to thank everyone so much for your feedback on the last chapter. I will try to respond to everyone at some point today. I'm glad everyone seems to have gotten a kick out of Dare's reaction to Oliver's reveal. I don't think those two are going to be besties anytime soon. I'm kind of exhausted at the moment, but I wanted to get this chapter out as quickly as I could. Please let me know what you think! Questions and comments are always welcome! :-)
> 
> You can also find me on tumblr as @mshellbrat
> 
> Here goes!
> 
> Disclaimer: I own NOTHING!...except my original characters and their imaginary organization...lol

==========

By the time the boys finally stalked into the club fifteen minutes or so later, Felicity was smiling and sitting at the bar beside Digg as he and Cross exchanged war stories. Felicity had a feeling the other woman was deliberately steering her stories away from the supernatural and she loved her all the more for it. Cross was easing Digg's fears without even realizing it. John had refused to allow her to enter the club alone and he'd been tense and apprehensive, but his shoulders and face had slowly relaxed as the minutes ticked by. Now he was chuckling as Cross described an op gone wrong where she was supposed to be the female bait, but it turned out their target was more interested in her male partner.

“I hate val ops, you know? I'm not that chick. I don't do the seduction angle,” Cross was telling him. “I'd rather just kick your ass than pretend to like you, so I was pissed anyway. But when he ignored me and started making eyes at Hunt? I swear I almost blew our cover all to hell laughing my ass off.”

Digg snorted. “I can imagine it got a little uncomfortable for him.”

“Oh, it was even better than that,” Cross explained as she leaned toward them over the opposite side of the bar. Her eyes sparkled with humor. “See Hunt's always been a little...curvy shall we say?”

“Curvy?” Digg frowned.

Felicity snickered. “As in not exactly straight.”

“OH!” Digg realized. His eyebrows shot up. “Well, that changes things.”

Cross shook her head. “Not really. Hunt's always been a little sensitive about the issue. His ma...uh...wife is a woman and he's been in love with her basically since he met her. He's never been with a man and he's never going to be with anyone else but Chris.” At Digg's frown Cross grinned. “Christina that is...we use a lot of nicknames.” Digg nodded understanding. “Anyway, I know the whole gay and bisexual thing is accepted now and that's great, but in Hunt's time...” she seemed to realize she might have crossed a line because she pursed her lips, “let's just say it was never something he wanted to explore and then he met Chris and that put paid to it.”

“So when the target hit on him...”

“Hunt got pissy like you wouldn't believe,” Cross snickered and shook her head. “He was convinced they'd fed us bad intel deliberately and set him up as the bait. It was everything I could do to keep him from bringing the whole place down...and it didn't help that his wife was giggling herself to death in his ear over comms.”

“Hunt just loves when you tell that story,” Dare drawled as he joined her behind the bar, “especially to people he's never met.”

Cross shrugged unconcerned. “He'll meet them soon enough. I talked to Chris this morning. She wants to set up a shopping trip. She's actually never visited Starling City.”

Dare rolled his eyes. “One more check-off on her mission to shop the world.” Dismissing the subject, he turned to Felicity and leaned across the bar to get in her face. “We need to talk.”

Felicity gulped and paused for a second to take in the pretty. Pissy Dare was very very hot. But still...gulp. “Uh...” she smiled and pointed her fingers like a gun at him, “I told you we were friends?”

Dare lifted one brow. “Really?”

Felicity sighed. She sat back and crossed her arms over her chest. “I've known you four days, Dare. I've known him for over two years. He has dibs.” She realized what she'd said and winced. “I mean like loyalty dibs, not like...property dibs or sexual dibs or...” she buried her head in her hands. “Why do I always have to bring up sex?”

She heard snickering coming from multiple directions. “It's a gift,” Digg told her sympathetically. He patted her on the back. 

“Felicity,” Dare said, “we want to protect you, but we can't do that if you keep things from us.” He waited until she looked up and met his eyes. “We're not going to judge you or scold you like a child. We want to help you but you have to trust us.”

“I DO trust you!” she insisted. “But I had to tell them first. They have loyalty dibs. I'm Team Arrow!”

Dare tilted back his head and ran his hands over his face. “Great.”

“I told you, man,” Riley spoke up, “she's not some fan, or friend, or even just tech support. She's his partner.”

“She is the Arrow,” Roy pointed out. Everyone turned to look at him confused. He shrugged. “Oliver's the guy under the hood but he's only one-third of the Arrow. Oliver, Digg, and Felicity are all the Arrow.”

“Hey,” Felicity sat up a little straighter, swelling with pride at his description, “you're Arrow too, you know.”

Roy shook his head. “No, I'm not there yet.” She tried to disagree, but he smirked at her. “I'm not saying that I'm not a valued member of the team, Blondie, but I came in late to the game. You three were the Arrow long before I got injected with super-juice. I'm still earning my stripes.”

Felicity snorted and rolled her eyes. “Whatever, you're Team Arrow.” She gathered her courage and forced herself to look at Oliver...but the vigilante's attention was focused on Dare. His jaw was clenched as he glared at the other man. Dare huffed. “Yea, that one's a pocket full of sunshine.”

Cross leaned down beside him. “I don't know. I still like this look better than 'smarmy playboy'.” Dare turned to her and cocked a brow. The brunette smile. “You didn't meet him tonight at the dinner. Case was this close,” She held up her thumb and pointer finger close together, “to asking if he got his personal trainer certification on that island.”

Felicity groaned in remembered embarrassment. Dare looked back at forth between the two women. “Queen was at the charity dinner?”

Cross nodded. “As was our girl Felicity.”

Dare's eyes narrowed. “Is that why you went?”

Cross shrugged. “Skye texted me. She told me to go and NOT to take you.”

Riley made a surprised sound at the name. It caught Felicity's attention and she looked to her mentors. “Who are these people you keep mentioning?” Felicity wondered.

Dare and Cross shared a look, then Dare answered. “Skye's our boss. She's the head of the organization we're a part of. Hunter and Chris are old friends and colleagues.” He waved a hand before she could ask more questions. “That's not really important right now, Felicity.”

“WHY isn't it important?” Oliver growled and stomped toward the bar. “You expect her to trust you, but you obviously don't intend to return the favor.”

Dare met his glare unimpressed. “Who pulled your string, Ollie?”

Felicity turned and put her hand on Oliver's arm trying to calm him down. She deliberately squeezed a little harder than she normally would to remind him that he didn't know what he was dealing with. He winced and she lightened her grip. He met her gaze and she gave him a small apologetic smile. Then she looked back to Dare and glared at him a little for the taunting. He was supposed to be the mature one.

Dare rolled his eyes. Cross smiled. “It isn't important right now because there's no point in overwhelming you with information that's not relevant to our current situation. We can either spend the next few hours discussing the vampire problem, getting you proper training, and what Felicity's role will be, or we can spend it explaining Skye and the hierarchy and circles of The Black Tide. Which would you prefer?”

Riley thew up a hand. “Do I get a vote?”

“No,” Dare said.

“I'm gonna need both of those discussions at some point,” Felicity warned them.

Cross nodded. “And we'll tell you anything you want to know, but we're on a tight schedule at the moment. We need you field ready yesterday, Sweetie. The Possessed have hit town. We can't afford to have them find you unprepared.” 

“She's not facing anything alone,” Oliver said.

Dare smirked. “You gonna follow her around twenty-four seven?”

Oh god! If only he knew! Felicity spun and poked Oliver with her finger. “You are not following me around all day, Oliver Queen!” Oliver shifted but didn't deny the possibility. Felicity poked him again. “I'm serious!”

Oliver met her eyes. “So am I. Your safety comes first.”

“He can swap off with me,” Digg offered. 

Felicity threw up her hands. “You have a pregnant wife, John. Besides,” she cocked her head to the side, “what are you going to do? Piss them off with your bullets? Bullets don't kill vampires.”

“Actually we have ammunition that works,” Cross said, “but we'll get to that.” She turned toward Oliver. “The stalker routine is unnecessary. Dare's just screwing with you. Possessed can't walk in the sun, genius, and they require an invitation to enter personally owned residences.”

Felicity made a face. “I knew that.”

“You're getting a lot thrown at you at once,” Cross reassured her. 

“Speaking of,” Dare leaned against the bar and motioned between the two women, “you two need to go train. Riley and I will give the three stooges the rundown and see what training and equipment they need.” He drummed his hands on the counter. “Focus on stake-work. It's a classic for a reason.”

Oliver and Felicity both started to object at the same time. Dare pointed to Oliver. “You don't get a vote.” His expression softened when it turned on Felicity. “I know they're your family. I'll take care of them.” Her eyes flickered to Oliver and Dare snorted. “I promise I'll return your pretty boy in one piece. I'm showing admirable restraint.”

Felicity laughed and shook her head. “I'll buy you a cookie.” She squeezed Oliver's arm one more time before hopping off her stool and following Cross from the room. 

========== 

Felicity could admit to herself that she was surprised Oliver had let her out of his sight. He'd either made major personal growth...or he'd decided not to let Dare out of his sight instead. The blonde slayer shook her head. She'd known those two wouldn't get along...they had far too much in common. And wouldn't Dare just be thrilled if someone pointed that out. 

“Go!”

Snapping from her thoughts, Felicity grabbed the stake that dropped into the air in front of her. She dodged the blow directed at her neck, fell into a forward roll and threw the stake toward the training dummy as she came to her feet. Her arms came up into a ready stance and she spun to face her attacker. The kick to her midsection caught her unaware. She let herself fall with the blow reducing its strength and rolled backward this time, pushing up with her hands and popping back up to her feet.

Cross nodded. “Good.”

Felicity made a face. “You got me.”

“You're going to take blows, Felicity,” Cross corrected her, “it's how you handle them that counts. Besides,” she smirked and notched her chin toward the training dummy, “that vamp is dust.”

Felicity spun and looked at the dummy. Sure enough, her stake was lodged where its heart would be. The perfect hand-eye coordination still blew her mind. “Bet I'm hell in laser-tag now,” she muttered to herself.

Cross chuckled. “We'll let you test that theory sometime. We've got some training rooms downstairs that would work.”

The blonde's jaw dropped. “Downstairs?”

Cross lifted a brow. “This,” she motioned around her, “is all window-dressing. Our quarters are below ground.” She shrugged. “Like I said, we're on a tight schedule and we've been trying not to overwhelm you. I'll give you the grand tour later if you'd like.”

“I KNEW this place would make a great lair!” Felicity grinned.

Cross smirked and crossed her arms over her chest. “We prefer headquarters actually.”

Felicity shrugged. “Oliver prefers base...doesn't mean I call it that.”

Now Cross paused. She looked Felicity over carefully and canted her head to the side. “Yea,” she drew out the word, “about Oliver...”

“Can we just not?” Felicity groaned.

Cross snickered. “He's just a friend, huh?”

“He is!” Felicity insisted. Cross gave her a look. Felicity pouted. “He was! He...URGH!!!” She threw up her hands. “He told me that because of the life he leads he doesn't think he can be with anyone he really cares about...and then he got together with Sara!”

Cross rolled her eyes. “He 'Peter Parker'd' you.” She walked over and grabbed her water bottle and tossed Felicity hers. Apparently they were having a moment and taking a pause. 

Still Felicity gulped down a mouthful, then frowned and cocked her head to the side. “He what?”

Cross smirked. “Felicity, you're a geek. You should know this trope by heart. The brooding hero tells the woman he adores that he can't be with her because he can't put her in danger? He thinks she deserves better than the life he can give her? Hell, I'm pretty sure Angel even pulled that shit on Buffy back in the day...more fool him.”

“That makes no sense,” Felicity said.

“It usually doesn't,” Cross agreed.

“But I'm already in danger,” Felicity insisted. “People already associate me with Oliver and I've been a part of Team Arrow since practically the beginning.” She gritted her teeth and stepped toward the other woman. “I had a BOMB necklace around my neck, Cross...a BOMB! Oliver's psycho-ex held me at crossbow point and threatened my life if I didn't hack the FBI for her. I deliberately got caught in an underground casino. I survived The Undertaking in the Glades. I stepped on a landmine. I was bait for the Dollmaker. I got captured by The Count. I took a bullet for Sara!” She ticked them off on her fingers...and she was running out of fingers!

Cross snorted. “Bet he was thrilled about that one.”

“Oh, he was livid,” Felicity said, “but I really shouldn't have been there. I let my insecurities get the best of me.”

Cross' expression said Felicity was missing the point. She smiled at the slayer. “But didn't you save his girlfriend's life? The woman who he loves and could be with despite his super dangerous life? Shouldn't he have been relieved? Or even proud?”

Felicity made a face. “Yea...that's a no...LIVID! I could have gotten myself killed, Cross.”

Cross waved her hand at Felicity...but the blonde just stared back at her confused. Cross chuckled and shook her head. “This is painful! How do they put up with you two?”

“Oh wait until she starts talking about how I'M the love of his life,” a new voice sounded and both Cross and Felicity turned to see Laurel enter the room, “that's when it gets really hysterical.” The lawyer motioned behind her toward the front of the club. “I showed up about thirty minutes ago. I was tired of listening in via Oliver and Roy's comms. I wanted to join the girls' club, but Oliver said I wasn't 'allowed',” she used air quotes, “to interrupt you.” She scoffed in disgust. “He's such an asshole.” She strutted over and took a seat on a bench against the wall. “As hot as that Dare guy is, I could only take so long of watching him and Oliver try to piss all over their territory. Riley and Roy are playing pool and Digg's get the unfortunate task of trying to keep Oliver from doing something stupid.”

Cross smirked. “My money's on Dare.” She looked back to Felicity. “Water?” The blonde tossed her the water bottle and Cross sat both bottles down on the table. Then she picked up another stake and threw it at Felicity. “Go!”

==========


	21. Chapter Twenty

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Laurel gets a taste of Felicity in 'slayer' mode and a lesson in 'how not to get eaten by a vampire', Team Arrow decide they need some specialized training for what's to come, and the surprises keep coming for Felicity as she gets more information on her mentors and receives an unexpected guest at home.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Hey guys! Thanks, as always, to everyone who commented on the last chapter. I've had a really really rough week but getting your feedback helped and brightened my spirits. Thank you so much! I'm finally back on my off week and I will try to reply to everyone's feedback at some point today. Hopefully I will also have more time to write and can get the next part churning out sooner. 
> 
> Of note in this chapter? I am NOT a fighting expert. I do the best I can, but I'm an x-ray tech...not a ninja. Also, we'll be digging a little deeper into the supernatural world and different species as the story continues. I hope you enjoy my crazy little universe, but if anything gets confusing please feel free to send any questions or comments my way. Please let me know what you think!
> 
> You can also find me as @mshellbrat on Tumblr... :-)
> 
> ==========  
> Disclaimer: I own NOTHING!...except my original characters and their imaginary organization...

==========

Felicity growled as she fought to break her attacker's hold. She was pinned to the mat on her stomach. She felt her attacker's head aiming for her neck and moved hers to block and protect the vulnerable area. She jabbed backward with her elbow with little effect, then timed it and headbutted hearing the crunch of bone. The grip on her torso loosened just enough for her to spin free and scramble desperately across the mat toward the stake. Her hand landed on the wood and she pushed to her feet and brought the stake up before her.

“Good,” Cross nodded. There was blood dripping from her nose. She reached up and wiped it away, before holding both sides between her fingers and jerking. A loud crack sounded and Felicity winced and made a horrified sound. “I'm so sorry!” She stepped toward her mentor. Cross waved her off. “I said 'good', Felicity. You can't pull your punches with me. Trust me, I can handle it.”

“I broke your nose!” Felicity said still shaken. She hadn't even been thinking. She'd lost herself to the fight and she'd just reacted. 

“I think I'm gonna need to see you spar with Oliver,” Laurel interrupted from where she sat watching them on the bench, “and I'm gonna need my phone.”

Felicity threw a glare at the sassy brunette before focusing back on Cross. “I can't keep breaking your bones, Cross. That's not okay!”

Cross eyed her thoughtfully. She reached up again and wiggled her nose. She didn't wince, no more blood appeared, there was no cracking or popping noise. “Let's just say I heal fast.” She cocked her head to the side and tucked some loose strands of her dark hair behind her ears. “The bigger the wound, the longer the downtime obviously, but...nasal bones?” She lifted one brow and smirked. “That's pretty much instant. ”

There was a long pause as both the other women took in that statement. Laurel reacted first. “What are you exactly?” she asked.

Cross considered how best to answer and then shrugged. “I'm a Pure,” she told them with a smile. She looked to Felicity. “Have fun with that.” And Felicity knew it was a show of trust on the brunette's part. She was letting Felicity in, trusting her to be able to handle the information once she had it...and Felicity would SO have it...like very soon...like as soon as she had access to wifi...like did they have time for a break right now?

So, of course, Cross dove toward her and Felicity found herself crouching and trying to take the other woman's legs out from under her. Cross flipped quick as a cat and came at her from behind. Felicity stood and dropped her arm to thrust the stake under her right shoulder then back and up to chest level.

Cross stepped back and away from the weapon. She nodded. “Good, but don't lock your knees. Stay loose. It'll help you maintain balance and allow for more flexibility.”

The two women faced each other and Felicity practiced Cross' advice. She crouched then stood, this time keeping her knees slightly bent. She moved from side to side and noted the difference in balance and the amount of power in her movements. She nodded. “Feels better.”

Cross smiled and patted her on the shoulder, “you're getting there.”

“So,” Laurel waved between the two women, “obviously I'm never going to have Felicity's strength and speed...I feel like I've been watching some crazy cut scene from 'The Fifth Element'...but what do I do if I get attacked by a vampire and I'm unarmed?”

“Mostly you die,” Cross said.

The lawyer nodded, but Felicity saw the growing hysteria behind her expression. “I was afraid you would say that.”

“If they get their hands on you, you're probably not getting away,” Felicity told her. “Your best defense is to not let that happen. You don't allow yourself to get into a situation where you might get attacked by a vampire.” The blonde pursed her lips and crossed her arms over her chest. “Most vampires aren't hunting down ADAs or lawyers, Laurel. They aren't going after the upper class, the middle class, or any class really. Vampires go after easy targets. Don't make yourself an easy target.”

Cross nodded. “Never go anywhere alone at night. Never leave a public place with a stranger that you haven't seen in direct sunlight or checked in a mirror for a reflection. Don't invite strangers into your home.”

“You can wear a religious necklace,” Felicity added, “and carry holy water in a flask to use like pepper spray.”

“But those ARE weapons,” Cross pointed out, “so if you have them, you'll never be totally unarmed.”

“Some kind of noise-maker might work too,” Felicity reasoned. She looked to her mentor. “With their enhanced hearing something like a pocket air horn might be enough to daze them for long enough to get loose.” The slayer knew from experience exactly how debilitating enhanced senses could be.

“Or like Sara's...” Laurel motioned to her neck.

Felicity nodded. “Exactly. We can look into that.”

“Not a bad idea,” Dare's voice sounded from the doorway and the women turned to see the men walking into the room. They must have finally finished hashing things out...at least for the night.

Felicity's eyes automatically gravitated toward Oliver. He looked tense...cause he was Oliver and he really only came in tense and fake...but he wasn't visibly bleeding and he still had all his limbs so she was gonna call that a win. She threw him a quick smile before focusing on Dare. “We need any advantage we can get.”

Dare smirked. “You realize you'll probably knock yourself out in the process. Your control still needs work.”

Felicity rolled her eyes. “I didn't mean for me.”

“Oh my god,” Laurel gasped. She looked back and forth between Felicity and Dare. “You actually do have enhanced senses, don't you?”

Dare cocked one brow. “Quick one, isn't she?”

Felicity threw him a glare for picking on the new girl. She turned to Laurel. “Yes, Laurel, slayers have enhanced senses. Honestly, I'm still trying to get the hang of mine. They're kinda touch and go.” She watched as Oliver kept walking past Dare and over to stand beside her. He seemed to be checking her for injuries. She waggled her eyebrows at him.

But Laurel's mouth was still open. She motioned at Oliver, but kept her eyes on the slayer. “You actually WERE honing your super-sight on Oliver's abs!”

And Felicity wanted the floor to open up and swallow her whole. Her face flushed bright red. She looked at Oliver horrified. His lips twitched. Her head snapped to Laurel and she glared at her completely betrayed. The lawyer winced and mouthed 'sorry'.

Roy chuckled. “You know, Laurel, just when we start wondering why we keep you around...you make it worth our while.”

Cross snickered. “Nice.”

Felicity spun on her mentor. “You haven't seen him on the salmon ladder,” she defended. “It's a magical invention! It's like some kind of female lust machine, I tell you!” She pointed back at Oliver. “And he totally does it on purpose!”

“He works out on purpose?” Dare smirked.

“Shirtless!” Felicity screeched hysterically. “There are no shirts! And he's right in front of my station! He does it on purpose!”

Dare nodded with mock-seriousness. “I remember. You are surrounded by the hotness.”

Felicity threw him her best death glare.

Roy snickered. “Dude, she's not kidding. He kinda does.” Everyone turned to stare at him and the red archer shrugged. “When Felicity shows up Oliver's shirt comes off...and he never works the salmon ladder until she gets there.”

Laurel groaned and shook her head. “Okay, maybe there is still some Ollie left in there.”

Digg snorted and leaned toward Roy. “You just broke the man code.”

Roy crossed his arms over his chest. “I like Blondie better than him.”

“You still have to train with him,” Digg pointed out.

Laurel looked at them wide-eyed. “Trust me...he'd rather train with Ollie than with her.”

Felicity turned to Oliver in stunned disbelief. She'd been kidding about the 'on purpose' thing. She'd been ranting in that babbly way she had and trying to explain her plight in life...the ultimate feminine dilemma: to stare or not to stare. But seriously? He'd been pulling that crap on purpose? How long had this been going on? She narrowed her eyes and poked Oliver in the chest. “SERIOUSLY?” He stared back at her unphased. That made it even worse. “You 'Peter Parker'd' me, Oliver! You do not get to flaunt the pretty! That's just cruel!” Oliver looked down at her finger...which had somehow turned into a hand laying flat against his leather-clad chest. Felicity 'eeped' and yanked it back.

Dare cleared his throat loudly. He threw Oliver a disgusted look before tilting his head toward Felicity. “As much fun as all this UST is, how about we call it a night. The humans need some sleep.”

Felicity frowned. “But...” she had a vampire to slay...she needed practice...lots and lots of intense practice so she didn't get munched on. She was not a nummy treat!

Roy snickered. “What exactly is a nummy treat, Blondie?”

And, of course, she said that out loud. 

Dare stepped forward and laid a comforting hand on her shoulder. “We'll meet back here around noon for more training,” he assured her. “You'll be ready and we're not going to let anything happen to you.”

Felicity took in a shaky breath and blew it back out. She nodded. “You'll have my back.”

Oliver moved closer and rested his hand on the exposed skin of her lower back beneath the bottom of her training top. He stroked his fingers across her skin and Felicity jerked slightly at the tingle from his touch. “We all will,” the vigilante turned a challenging glare on Dare, “and we could all do with some specialized training.”

Dare lifted his other hand and twirled his pointer finger in the air. “I'm quivering in anticipation.”

Roy chuckled and leaned toward Digg. “Man, this is such a freaking train wreck.”

Throwing Roy a dark look, Oliver slid his hand from Felicity's back to around her waist. He pulled her away from Dare's grip and toward his side. “Come on,” he told her gently, “let's get you home.”

Ten minutes of banter and maneuvering later, Felicity was riding shotgun in the van with Digg and headed back toward the lair. Oliver and Roy were following on their bikes. Riley and Laurel had left in their own cars. Before they'd called it a night they'd all agreed to get some sleep and meet back at the club at noon. Now Felicity was typing away on her tablet. She'd set up searches of the three most reliable supernatural databases on the web. Keyword: Pure.

========== 

Several hours later...

“VAMPIRES?!?” Felicity screeched to her empty apartment. “THEY'RE FRICKIN' VAMPIRES?!?” 

After screaming every obscenity she could think of and pacing back and forth beside her bed for what felt like hours, the blonde slayer told herself to take deep breaths and calm down. Okay, so it was obviously more complicated than that. Pures were known as something of an anomaly. They were a branch off of a different species of vampire known as Chosen. Once again, it all came down to the balance. The Chosen usually turned their childre by slipping their blood into a drink which was then unknowing consumed. The blood, then acting as both poison and catalyst, slowly and painfully killed the human's body. When the body died, the Chosen was born and with it came the bloodlust. 

Pures were the universe's way of evening the scales. Technically a newborn Chosen wasn't damned. They didn't lose their souls during transition and they'd never made their first kill. If a Chosen could withstand a withdrawal period (the length of which differed from resource to resource) without making their first kill, they became what was known as a Pure. The information available on Pures was far from vast. Apparently very few Chosen made it through the withdrawals without succumbing. What was known? Pures were not damned. They were immune to sunlight, holy water, holy artifacts, and bloodlust. They were, in fact, known for being driven to protect humanity from their darker brethren.

Felicity supposed that was what Dare had meant when he said not all species of vampire fell under her jurisdiction. The Chosen, it would appear, fell under theirs. But still...she'd been training all week with VAMPIRES?!? That was one major mind-frack!

A knock sounded from her front door and Felicity jumped shaking herself from her musing. She needed to calm the frack down and act normal. With her luck, this was Oliver. It had been everything she could do earlier that morning to convince the knucklehead to head home to Thea and not camp out in her guestroom. Her emotions were all over the place where he was concerned and she needed space. Knowing he was sleeping in the next room...well that could lead to stupid stupid impulsive things that Felicity couldn't let herself fantasize about at the moment...THINK, she meant THINK about!

She hurried into her living room, then froze. Her senses went wild. She stared wide-eyed at the door. Whoever...whatever was out there...it was supernatural and her tummy didn't like it. Her hands shook and she took slow quiet steps toward the door. She really couldn't believe this was happening. Oliver was never going to let her live this down...provided, of course, she lived long enough to tell him about it. Should she call someone for help? She should totally call for help, right? She had Dare and Cross on speed dial...

The knock sounded again, quicker and louder this time. “Lissy answer the damn door! I know you're in there!”

That nickname...no one had called her that in years! Even her mom had dropped Lissy after she'd started her 'goth' phase. Only one person refused to give it up...one person so stubborn she'd just shrugged and said “Lissy makes a stupid goth name but whatever...you'll grow out of it.” Felicity could see those big hazel eyes rolling in her mind even now. “The goth shit that is, not the nickname.”

Felicity's hand was turning the doorknob before she could stop herself. She pulled it open and stared in shock at the tiny brunette standing on her doorstep. She looked almost exactly the same. It had been...seven years? Long beautiful brown curls, thick lashes, hazel eyes, cupid's bow lips...and she looked about sixteen even though Felicity knew she was twenty-one... “Meredith?”

A wide smile split the girl's lips. “Hey Cuz! Long time, no see!” She canted her head to the side and blinked innocently up at Felicity. “You gonna invite me in?”

Felicity gulped and took a big step backward as her hands shook. “Nope...negative...not happening...sorry.”

Meredith shrugged. “That's cool, I don't need one anyway.” She made a dramatic display of stepping across the threshold and walked in the doorway. Her grin just got bigger as Felicity's jaw dropped. “Good staying power though. Keep that up.” Her expression grew serious and she pointed at Felicity. “Rule number one: no invites. Use the trusty hand wave.” She demonstrated as she turned and waved her hand as if inviting someone into the house. Then she turned back to the slayer. “Of course the right vamp will just burn down your house to get you out, but most of them aren't that dedicated...or smart.”

Felicity 'eeped' and scampered back away from her younger cousin. “Meredith, you're a...you're a...”

“I'm complicated,” Meredith agreed. “It's a really long story that I'd rather skip for the moment, BUT...” she smiled widely again, “I'm not here to eat you. Pinky swear!” She held up her little finger.

And yet somehow Felicity wasn't finding that very reassuring considering her senses were still going INSANE and her clearly supernatural cousin had just waltzed into her home without an invitation. “Meredith, what ARE you doing here?” Felicity asked.

The tiny brunette shrugged. “One of my best friends is a witch. We got word not too long ago that Starling City might be a new hellmouth. She had a vision that you'd been activated as a slayer and I wasn't about to let you get eaten.” She sped forward faster than Felicity's eyes could follow and took both the slayer's arms in her hands. Felicity jerked at the display of speed and power, but Meredith held fast. Her expression was earnest and determined. “I'm here to save you!”

Oh holy frack!

==========


	22. Chapter Twenty-one

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Felicity deals with the very unexpected arrival of her apparently supernatural cousin. She tries to balance the love she feels for her family member with the possibility that she shouldn't trust her and she might be a threat.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Hey guys! Thank you all so much again if you read and sent feedback my way! I can't even tell you how much I appreciate it. I'm so glad that most of you seem to still be enjoying the story. I really struggled with some doubts about this one, but your kind words and some specific help from one of you helped me push through and keep the story going. I'd forgotten just how sensitive writing and putting it out there for others to critique can make you. Every encouraging comment helped me push past my own self-doubts and still come out with something that I enjoyed. I hope you do as well!
> 
> Of note this chapter: 
> 
> 1\. We are delving more into the supernatural world and the different supernatural species in this one. I hope it doesn't confuse you and if you have any questions or anything needs clarified then please let me know. We've had this verse created for so long in our heads that we know every species and all their quirks. It's hard to step outside that and realize we might be overwhelming someone who is just getting the information for the first time. So questions are very very welcome.
> 
> 2\. Someone expressed some serious concern about my new original to show up. Meredith is NOT a dreaded 'Mary Sue'. A 'Mary Sue' is by definition a perfect character who represents the author or a wish fulfillment for the author. Meredith is nothing like me. She is also far from perfect...she's a disaster. Meredith is, in fact, a character created by my sister years ago loosely based on a book character who got badly warped in translation in television. She created the character in irritation because she liked the book character and felt like fans got jipped by how they changed her. I won't say what show because the character has grown and changed enough by this point that she is truly an original. She has an entire backstory, a family, and friends. She is a very complicated and, in our opinion, fun character. I love playing with her. Meredith is crazy. She will not be dating Oliver, Digg, or Roy and she will not be everyone's new best friend. I'm truly sorry if anyone doesn't like Meredith, but I came to the conclusion that I have to write this story true to myself and the plan was always to bring in Meredith at some point. Hopefully she'll grow on you. BTW...Meredith is actually the female represented in the banner.
> 
> Okay, sorry for the long ramble. Thanks again for reading and I hope you enjoy! Here goes...
> 
> ==========  
> Disclaimer: I own NOTHING!...except my originals and their imaginary organization... :-)  
> ==========

==========

She should be calling for help. Felicity knew rationally she should be calling for help right now. Meredith had left, gone to gather her luggage apparently, but she was coming right back. Felicity had time to make a quick call for backup. She should grab her phone and hit speed dial and...but Meredith was her COUSIN! Yes, she was something supernatural and Felicity's stomach still hadn't settled down, but Meredith was still her cousin. If Felicity called Cross or Dare they might kill Meredith! And Oliver? Great google, he might arrow Meredith and then Felicity would have to kill HIM! No one was killing Meredith!

And then the door was opening and Meredith was slinging a duffle onto the floor and the question of calling for help was out the...question.

Felicity frowned at the duffle. “Exactly how long are you planning to be here, Mere?”

Meredith shrugged. “I wasn't sure so I packed up everything. Not like this whole hellmouth thing is going away or anything. And HEY...” she smiled at Felicity and held out her arms, “you know about the supernatural now. It's kinda the club you can't ever get out of. I don't have to avoid you anymore.” Now her expression turned shifty. “And...I might have burned some bridges back in Edencrest...”

Felicity was horrified at the implications. “That's everything you own?” She forced herself to stop freaking out and actually LOOK at her younger cousin. Meredith was still deceptively adorable and sweet looking, but Felicity started to see the cracks in her perky exterior. Meredith's hair was gorgeous...but also pretty messy. Had it even been brushed? The girl wore no makeup and no jewelry. She was wearing an obviously over-sized man's black button-down top. Felicity could see it was high-quality material, but it was also wrinkled and huge and...not appropriate attire for a twenty-one year old young woman. She wore old well-loved blue jeans and a pair of chucks. Meredith was looking rough.

Meredith noticed her gaze and shrugged. “Yea, the jeans and shoes were Lisa's,” she pointed at Felicity and her face screwed up into a scowl, “bitch owes me.” Then she painted a fake smile back on her lips. “But yep, I travel light.”

Felicity thought back and she remembered Lisa. She'd been one of Meredith's best friends back in the day. There had been a foursome of girls who Felicity had been equally amused and annoyed by back then. They'd been two years younger than Felicity and just about to start high school the last time she'd seen them. Lisa was a pretty, doe-eyed girl who had been tooth-ache sweet...never Felicity's favorite of the four. Felicity had actually preferred Chrissy, who was a little bitchy and self-absorbed but at least more real.

But so...so not the point at the moment. Felicity was baffled. “How can that be everything you own?” It was a duffle bag...one freaking duffle bag! And also... “Edencrest?” As in Edencrest, Alabama? As in the location of another of Cross' clubs?

Meredith nodded. She started nosing around Felicity's house and made a satisfied noise when she located the kitchen. Felicity followed her inside and watched as the brunette opened the refrigerator looking for food. “We've been in Edencrest for about four years now. You know it's the location of the largest active hellmouth, right?”

Felicity 'eeped' because she definitely had NOT known that. Meredith grinned at her and pulled a box of left over pizza out of the fridge. She pulled free a couple of slices and replaced the box. “Just how new are you to this game, Lissy?”

“Pretty new,” Felicity mused. Then she shook herself and narrowed her eyes on Meredith. “Meredith, what is going on? I'm a slayer and you are making my instincts go super wonky! I'm supposed to trust my instincts!”

Meredith snorted and rolled her eyes unconcerned. “That's just because I'm half vamp, Lissy,” she paused and tilted her head consideringly, “or possibility because my sire is Satan...one of the two.” She took a big bite of pizza.

“SATAN?!?” Felicity screeched.

Meredith turned and started digging through her cabinets. “Not like the actual Satan. That's just what I call him...cause he's an evil bastard,” she shrugged, “and I like being able to say that I have Satan on speed dial.” She looked back over her shoulder at Felicity. “You got any bourbon?”

“NO!” Felicity used her Loud Voice and pointed at the younger woman, “I do NOT have any bourbon and you could NOT have any even if I did! Now,” she pointed back toward the living room, “go sit on the couch and I will fix you something to drink. Then you are going to eat and explain what the hell is really going on with you!” Meredith opened her mouth and Felicity whipped her finger back around and at her. “NOW!”

Meredith lifted one brow. “You do realize I'm not fourteen anymore,” she made a face, “even if I'm never going to look my age.”

Felicity just continued to glare her down. “I'm still older than you!”

Meredith rolled her big eyes again, took another bite of pizza and strutted past Felicity toward the living room. Felicity dropped her head into her hands and gave a silent frustrated scream. When was she going to catch a fracking break?!?

========== 

Felicity sat primly on one end of the couch and stared at her cousin. She was determined not to show the younger girl another freak out. Meredith was...obviously not in a good place. Felicity hadn't seen the girl since she was fourteen, but she'd quickly picked up on her erratic emotional state. She'd also realized Meredith was half-drunk. As passionately as the brunette had declared she was there to save Felicity, the slayer had a feeling she was also running from her old life. Felicity wondered if this “vision” her friend the witch had was strategically planned to get Meredith away from whatever situation she'd been dealing with.

And now she was here...with Felicity...who had just had the slayer thing dropped on her, and the Team Arrow goes supernatural thing dropped on her, and the being trained by vampires thing dropped on her. Felicity would really like to have fifteen minutes alone in a room with this witch. Felicity loved Meredith. Meredith was her cousin and she would do everything she could to help and protect her, but she really didn't need this right now! Oliver was going to shit KITTENS!

The still inebriated brunette was sprawled across an adjacent chair. Meredith gulped down her flavored water and some ranch chips Felicity had found buried in her cabinet. The blonde eyed her with careful neutrality. “So...you're telling me you're ANOTHER type of vampire?”

Meredith frowned at her wording but shrugged. “Traditional technically...but I'm only half.” And apparently to Meredith that made all the difference...as if Felicity had any idea that HALF-vampires even existed or that they were or were not worse than the full variety. Meredith held out her wrist to the blonde. “I have a heartbeat. You can check.”

As tempting as that was, Felicity ignored the offer. She groaned and banged her head back against the couch. “I swear my life was practically normal last week. Now I have different species of vampires running out my ears!”

“Just how many are you dealing with?” Meredith asked. “I mean, Possessed are your priority, right?” She straightened up and glared at Felicity seriously. “You shouldn't be going after the others. It gets more complicated...and a lot more dangerous!”

Felicity took in a deep breath and blew it out. She stared back at the other girl. “Well there's Possessed, Pures, and now whatever you are.” She watched the brunette's eyes for her reaction. “I just found out I'm being trained by a couple of Pures.”

Meredith snorted and waved her hand. “Oh please, Pures are NOT vampires. They don't even drink blood.” She relaxed back into her former position. “And if they're training you that's a good thing. They're like legendary warriors for the Light. It's their 'path' laid down by God or the Powers or whatever.” She used air-quotes on the word path. “And Traditional are not your problem,” she continued, “we govern our own if anyone gets out of line.”

“Well that's reassuring,” Felicity drawled because it was NOT.

“You would probably never even have run across one if it wasn't for me,” Meredith chuckled and pointed a finger at her. “Lucky you!”

“Mere...” Felicity glared at her reprovingly.

The brunette gave a dramatic sigh and rolled her eyes. “I'm serious! Traditional tend to avoid slayers and hellmouths like the plague. We only ended up in Edencrest because of Sam, who is a witch by the way.”

Sam, the fourth of Meredith's old quartet of friends. That answered one question. Sam was the culprit she needed to thank for this unexpected visit. “And Sam had a vision that I was going to get eaten?”

“Sam had a vision that you'd been activated as a slayer,” Meredith corrected. “I just happen to know that slayers often get eaten and I wasn't about to let that happen to my Lissy.” She paused and slumped unhappily. “And I was kinda homeless and Nik hates me now and I had nothing else to do with my time...and you are like the only decent family I have left!”

Felicity still smelt a rat and she had no idea who this Nik person was, but she was willing to let it go for the moment. Meredith was getting more and more distraught. The blonde pushed to her feet and walked over to her smaller cousin. She reached down, took the girl's hand, and pulled her up as well. Then she started nudging her toward the guest bathroom. “You will feel much better after you've had a nice long shower, Mere.” She leaned forward and sniffed before making a face. “No offense, but you kinda stink.”

Meredith shrugged. “I don't have any other clothes.”

Felicity patted her shoulder. “I'll lend you some of mine for now.” She pushed her into the bathroom, made sure she had a clean towel and washcloth, then closed the door.

After waiting to hear the shower turn on, Felicity hurried into her bedroom and grabbed her phone. She thought carefully before placing her call. The male voice answered after only three rings. “Felicity?”

Felicity blew out a breath she didn't realize she was holding, “Hi Riley! Sorry to call you so early, but I was wondering if you could help me out with some quick information about another species of vampire I've been looking up.”

“Of course,” Riley answered. “I'll give you any information I have, but you only really need to worry about Possessed. Most other vamps are smart enough to avoid the slayer.”

Felicity rolled her eyes because apparently her cousin wasn't most vampires...and nothing so far about Felicity's slayer life had followed the norm. “I just want to cover all my bases, I guess.” She tried to sound casual. “So, what can you tell me about the Traditional species of vampire?”

Riley hummed. “Well, they're similar in a lot of ways to the Chosen, though they have a higher population. Chosen are very picky about their childre and they don't turn their victims as often. They see their childre as their legacy...as their actual children.” He paused. “Traditional are more...human in a way. They often turn their lovers or their friends or even their families. They turn for companionship and for love.”

Felicity frowned. “That would be almost sweet if they weren't creating bloodsucking fiends in the process.”

“They don't have to kill to feed,” Riley told her. “Don't get me wrong, some of them do, but they don't have to. Traditional have a very dangerous ability called persuasion. It's a form of mind-control that induces humans to submit to their will. It allows them to feed on humans without dealing with a fighting victim and then persuade them to forget it ever happened.”

Felicity's eyes widened and she looked toward the bathroom. “How...how would someone know if they were being persuaded?”

Riley snorted. “They wouldn't. That's the point, but you don't have to worry about that Felicity. If for no other reason, it doesn't work on supernatural creatures. It only works on humans.”

Felicity sighed in relief and looked to the ceiling. Thank google! She ran her free hand over her face. “So, anything else I should know? Weaknesses? Strengths?”

“They share most of the traditional weaknesses of vampires in general,” Riley said. “They burn in direct sunlight. They can be beheaded, burned, or staked. They require an invitation to enter personally owned residences...”

“They do?” Felicity couldn't help interrupting. “You have to invite them in?”

“Oh yes,” Riley told her, “thankfully the only species I know that's immune to that quirk are the Forsaken and there's some debate if they should actually be classified as demons instead of vampires.” He made a disgusted noise. “Forsaken, by the way, are nasty bastards and if you ever run across one just kill the hell out of it.”

Felicity rubbed her fingers over her eyes. “Noted, but about the Traditional?”

“Oh, they are immune to religious artifacts and holy water,” Riley said, “but they have a weakness to silver. Any human wearing pure silver is immune to their persuasion.”

“Good to know,” Felicity said. She bit her lip and cleared her throat. “Uh...what about half-vampires? Any information on them?”

There was a long pause and then Riley whistled, “where did you even dig that up?”

“No comment,” Felicity muttered.

“They say that a master vampire of the species with sufficient power can claim a human, imbuing them with a portion of their own power and effectively putting them into transition,” Riley said. “But they'd become a full Traditional upon their first kill...and until they make that kill they fall into the gray area and aren't really our problem. You don't want to start going after the vamps that don't kill. There are plenty enough of the old fashioned kind to keep you busy.”

“Would they need an invitation into a home?” Felicity asked.

“I honestly have no idea,” Riley admitted. “We don't have that much information on them. I've never run across one.”

Felicity nodded to herself, then she heard the shower turn off and eyed the bathroom door again. “Thank you so much for the information Riley. I guess I'll see you in a bit at 'The Bronze'.”

“My pleasure,” she could hear the warmth in his voice, “I know this has been a crazy time for you, Felicity, but you really are doing great. Things will get better and we are here to help you if you need it.”

“I appreciate that,” she said.

“I hope you know that you are an amazing woman, Felicity,” Riley said. Felicity's eyes widened at his tone. She really hoped she hadn't given him the wrong impression with this call. 

The bathroom door opened and Meredith stepped out wrapped in the towel Felicity left her. The brunette was grinning widely as she walked toward her cousin obviously listening in to the conversation.

“Thanks,” Felicity squeaked, “I uh...I really appreciate that.”

“You already said that,” Meredith noted.

Felicity glared at her. “I have to go now, Riley. See you later.” She hung up the phone and groaned. The last thing she wanted to do was lead on Riley Finn. She had more than enough on her plate right now...and she was almost positive Oliver WOULD try to kill him.

“I hope you know that you are an amazing woman, Felicity,” Meredith purred.

Felicity pointed her finger at her. “Don't you start, Mere! If he ends up arrowed it's all your fault!”

Meredith chuckled. “Let me guess, you wanted the Traditional vampire 4-1-1?” She cocked her head to the side. “You could have just asked.”

Felicity ignored that because she knew Meredith was well aware of why she'd called for an outside opinion. She turned and headed for her closet. She eyed Meredith's small frame, she was at least two inches shorter than the slayer, and tried to decide what wouldn't look ridiculous on her. She settled on a hot pink dress the skirt of which was almost indecently short on Felicity (she'd only worn it to drive Isabel up the wall back in the day). She walked back out and held the hanger out to her cousin. “So, apparently Traditional vampires still require an invitation.”

Meredith eyed the pink dress with distaste. “I don't do pink...or dresses.”

Felicity's eyebrows shot up. “Well, I don't do men's shirts or stolen jeans. You'll have to suffer through until we get you some better options.” She continued to stare down her notoriously stubborn cousin. “Invitation?” she prompted.

Meredith sighed and took the hanger. She dropped her towel and pulled the dress over her head. “I told you, Lissy, I'm only half vamp.” She took in Felicity's determined expression and sighed. “I'd really rather skip my hard-knock life story, but basically I've been on this road since I was four.”

There had been a tragedy when Meredith was four. She'd had a twin brother, Felicity remembered, and something horrible had happened, an accident of some kind, and Matthew had died. Felicity was too young to remember the details and no one really talked about it. 

“I should have died too,” Meredith told her as if she knew what Felicity was thinking, “but Gabriel saved me. He's my sire and a master vampire. He claimed me and used persuasion on my mother,” her face twisted in disgust, “to make her take care of me until I could care for myself.”

Felicity stared her stunned. “You've been this way since you were four?”

Meredith shrugged. “Only really kicked in at fourteen when I attacked my roommate at boarding school.” Felicity must have looked horrified because she huffed and rolled her eyes. “I didn't kill her OBVIOUSLY or she wouldn't have been around to get me expelled and I wouldn't be a HALF vampire.”

Felicity looked at her closely. “You've never killed anyone?”

“No one human,” Meredith told her. Then she tilted her head to the side and blinked. “Are you really going to make me give you a play-by-play of the last seven years?”

Felicity frowned. “Not at the moment,” she looked at her phone, “frankly I don't have time. I have an appointment in a couple hours.”

“Oh yay,” Meredith clapped her hands with mock-excitement, “where are we going?”

Putting her hands on Meredith's shoulders, Felicity began pushing the girl back toward the living room. She directed her back toward her former chair. “YOU aren't going anywhere until I verify that my friends aren't going to kill you.”

Meredith sighed. “Can I at least have some alcohol? I'm much less pleasant when I'm sober.”

Felicity pointed a warning finger at the brunette. She lifted her phone and hit a name on her favorites list. She spoke as soon as the line picked up. “Hey, I need you to come to my place as quick as you can...and don't bring Dare!”

“I'm hearing that a lot lately,” Cross drawled. “Give me fifteen.”

Felicity disconnected the call and turned to see that her cousin had perked up and was looking at her eagerly. “You know Dare?” Meredith asked. “Is he as hot as they say he is? Do you know they call him 'The Black Tide Ho'?”

Frowning at this new piece of the puzzle, Felicity opened her mouth to reply when another knock sounded from her front door. The blonde told Meredith to stay and hurried to answer. Felicity was distracted and confused and still a little stunned at the massive disaster that was quickly becoming her life. That would later be her excuse. She didn't check the peephole and she was already speaking as she opened the door. “We need to work on your time perception, Cross. It hasn't been fifteen...” her words trailed off and her eyes widened comically. She made a pained face. “You aren't Cross.”

Oliver frowned at her reaction to his presence. He reached up to rub at the back of his neck. “Hey! I was...hoping we could maybe talk before we're due for training. Cross is coming over here?” Then he seemed to notice the panic she was fighting to hide. His eyes narrowed and he straightened up. He tried to look behind her into her home. “Is everything okay?”

“SUCH a good question,” Felicity noted with a nod, “that I honestly do not have a good answer to.”

And then, of course, Meredith appeared behind her. She leaned around Felicity and snorted at her first sight of Oliver. “Aren't you that jackass playboy that everyone thought was a dead for a while?” As both Oliver and Felicity seemed to be frozen at her appearance, Meredith pushed in front of her cousin protectively to face down Oliver. She crossed her arms over her chest and glared up at him. 

Oliver shook himself and looked Meredith over from head to toe. He frowned. Felicity winced at the picture her younger cousin must make...long wet hair, slightly over-sized hot pink dress, bare feet. She wasn't, however, prepared for what he chose to notice first. “Felicity, why is she wearing your dress?”

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	23. Chapter Twenty-two

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Felicity struggles to hold it all together as she deals with this new twist thrown into her already crazy life. As the pressure continues to mount on the new slayer, Oliver is there to reassure her and talk her down off the ledge.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Hey guys! Thanks so much to everyone who commented on the last chapter! As always, you make my day and keep me writing. I will try to respond to all your comments at some point today. This chapter is more of a transitional chapter, dealing with the fallout of Meredith's arrival and the escalating pressure being placed on Felicity's shoulders. And I wanted to let Felicity and Oliver touch base after the 'slayer' revelation. But we'll be headed back toward the action next chapter. I hope you enjoy! Let me know what you think! 
> 
> You can also find me on tumblr as @mshellbrat :-)
> 
> Here goes!
> 
> ==========  
> Disclaimer: I own NOTHING!...except my originals and their imaginary organization...  
> ==========

==========

Felicity babbled and silently pleaded and finally Meredith rolled her eyes and stormed back off to the bathroom in a huff to fix her hair. Once the hairdryer could be heard running, Felicity faced Oliver and waved him inside the house and toward the living room. He was wearing a blue button-down and jeans. He took a seat on the couch and the blonde slayer found herself pacing back and forth in front of him and trying to explain the situation. She was already dressed in a loose t-shirt over her lycra workout clothes for training and Oliver followed her movements with his eyes.

“She's my younger cousin,” Felicity told him. “She's twenty-one. She just showed up a couple hours ago and I haven't seen her in seven years, Oliver.” She threw her hands up in the air. “Apparently she's homeless and I think she's in trouble or running from something and...and...” but she couldn't tell him the rest...not yet. How was she supposed to explain that yet another supernatural complication had landed in her lap? 

“Hey,” and suddenly he was standing in front of her. He took her arms in his big hands and pulled her forward to rest against his chest. “Breathe, Felicity. It's going to be okay. We'll figure this out.”

Oh, he said that now! “You can't kill my cousin, Oliver,” Felicity whispered. “No one can kill Meredith.”

Oliver stiffened. He tilted his head down and met her gaze. “What?”

Another knock sounded from the door. Felicity reluctantly pulled away from Oliver and walked over to let in Cross. The exotic brunette nodded and took one step inside the house before canting her head to the side and taking in a deep sniff of the air. Her eyebrows shot up. “Uh...Sweetie?”

“You can't kill her!” Felicity insisted in a whisper-shout. “No one gets to kill Meredith! She's my favorite cousin!”

Cross took in the slayer's growing hysteria and nodded reassuringly. “Okay, Felicity, I need you to calm down and tell me what's going on, because that smell...”

“She has a house guest,” Oliver explained. He was frowning toward the bathroom door.

Cross cut her eyes in the same direction. She took a step. “That smell...”

Felicity hurried around to put herself between Cross and the bathroom and her cousin. “She's a half-vampire. I called Riley. She didn't need an invite. You can't kill her!” 

“You called RILEY and not me?” Oliver growled.

The blonde slayer spun to glare and point her finger at him. “I called Riley for information that you don't have, Oliver. Don't you pull that possessive bullshit with me. This isn't about the as-yet-nonexistent us!” Oliver's eyes flashed and he took a step in her direction. She wiggled her finger at him again...like that would stop the stubborn asshole. “I called Riley instead of Dare or Cross because...”

“Because we could have gotten suspicious,” Cross interrupted. She frowned at Felicity. “You're going to have to start trusting us not to overreact, Sweetie. We've been at this a while. We know how to reserve judgment and we don't kill all vampires on sight.”

And Felicity slumped as a wave of guilt poured over her because Cross was absolutely right. She'd just assumed Cross and Dare would immediately go after Meredith. They'd never given her any reason to doubt them or their judgment. “I'm sorry,” the blonde told her remorsefully. 

“What do you mean you don't kill all vampires on sight?” Oliver growled.

Cross rolled her eyes. “Possessed, Chosen, Lost Ones, Lonely Ones, Forsaken, Traditional,” she counted the species off on her fingers looking pointedly at Felicity with the last before turning back to Oliver, “and those are only the most common species. Would you like a list of strengths and weaknesses? Methods of transition? Soulful or soulless?” She calmly stared down the frustrated vigilante. “This is a complicated world, Oliver, and you're going to have to learn to roll with it or that frustration will eat you alive. Shit happens. Nothing is black and white and normal is a thing of the past.” She laid a comfortingly hand on Felicity's shoulder but never took her eyes off Oliver. “If it's too much and you can't handle it, there's the door.” She hooked her thumb over her shoulder. “You can still walk away and bury your head back in the sand. There will always be plenty of normal human criminals for you to take down.”

Felicity felt sick. She realized that was still what she was waiting for. She was waiting for it all to be too much. She was waiting for Oliver to walk away. Her thoughts must have shown on her face because suddenly he was there and cupping her face in his hands. “Hey,” he told her gently. He ignored Cross' presence and stroked his thumbs across her cheeks. Felicity forced herself to lift her eyes and was caught in endless blue. Her breathe caught in her throat. Oliver tilted his head down and rested his forehead against hers never breaking her stare. “I'm not going anywhere. You're stuck with me.”

“Dare will be so pleased,” Cross mused.

“I know I am,” Meredith drawled. Everyone turned to see her standing in the now-open doorway to the bathroom. Her hair was dry, she still wore Felicity's dress, and she'd pulled back on her chucks. She eyed Oliver with distaste. “I swear, horrible taste in men runs in our DNA.” She tilted her head to the side and frowned at Felicity. “Doesn't he already have an epic love the tabloids are pulling for him to reunite with?”

Felicity closed her eyes and thumped her head against Oliver's solid chest. Oliver glowered at the tiny brunette. “Because tabloids are known for their accuracy.”

Meredith pouted her lips. “Chrissy will be devastated. I'm pretty sure she ships you,” she grinned at Felicity, “there may be some really bad fanfiction floating around out there.”

Felicity scoffed. “Does it cover how he slept with her sister...a lot?” She felt Oliver stiffen and winced. Her head snapped back around to look at him. “I'm sorry! I'm so sorry!”

“Horrible taste in men,” Meredith reiterated. She walked forward to face Cross and held out a hand. “Meredith Breeland.”

Cross took her hand. “Cross Garza.”

A wide smile curled Meredith's lips. She shook Cross' hand eagerly. “I love 'The Bronze'. I am such a fan!”

“You've been to 'The Bronze'?” “You've heard of her?” Felicity and Oliver spoke at the same time.

Meredith ignored Oliver and focused on her cousin. “There's a Bronze in Edencrest. We practically lived there. It's the only decent club in town,” she shrugged. “Also, they serve blood on tap.”

Felicity gaped at Cross. “You serve blood...” she watched as her mentor's eyebrow lifted and thought back to their earlier conversation. She swallowed her shock. “Nope, nevermind...don't want to know.”

Oliver eyed Meredith closely. Felicity could practically see him grinding his teeth. “Felicity, I'm going to need to speak to you alone.”

Felicity frowned. She couldn't...

“I'll take your cousin to the Bronze,” Cross offered. “You two can meet us there as planned.” She smirked and motioned to Meredith. “I'll get Dare caught up and make the introductions.”

Meredith looked between the other two women consideringly. Finally she sighed and nodded. “Fine, I need a drink anyway...” but she stepped closer to Oliver and suddenly her eyes flashed red and black veins crawled under her skin, “but if you hurt Lissy? I'll have you hopping up and down on one foot and singing Justin Bieber until you die of dehydration. It'll be worth being full Traditional.” She blew him a kiss, spun on her heel, and followed Cross out the door.

Cross threw them both a sympathetic smile as she reached back and closed the door behind them.

Oliver stared at the closed door for a long moment. When he looked back to Felicity she could see him trying to keep his temper under control. “She's a what?”

========== 

“She's a vampire, Felicity!” Oliver repeated for the bumpteenth time. 

Felicity stood scowling at him with her arms crossed over her chest. “You're like a broken record, Oliver. I KNOW this! She's also my younger cousin and she needs me to look after her.” She knew he was fighting to keep the exact same words from leaving his mouth again. She saw him physically bite them back. His hands were curled into fists at his sides and he glared at her. She shrugged unconcerned. Oliver hadn't scared her before she was called as a slayer. Now? The predator inside of her just hummed in approval and wondered how far she could push him before he snapped. Pissy Oliver was also hot...apparently that was a thing with her now. “She's never killed anyone, Oliver. Are YOU gonna start throwing stones?”

Oliver winced and Felicity immediately felt guilty. That was sort of a low blow. She blew out a long breath. “I know a lot's going on. I know the shit just keeps coming and we're all struggling to catch up and deal with any of this.”

Oliver stepped closer and reached out to run his hands up and down her arms. “None of this is your fault and we will handle it.” He paused to choose his words carefully. “But even if your cousin has never killed anyone, that doesn't mean she's not dangerous.” Felicity opened her mouth to speak and he hurried on. “I'm not saying for you to turn your back on her. I'm saying that maybe her living with you isn't the best idea. She is a vampire and she does drink human blood.”

Felicity glared at him stubbornly. “I'll take your opinion under advisement, but for the time being Meredith stays.”

Oliver stepped back and ran his hands over his face and through his short hair. “We need more information on these different species of vampires.”

“I'm working on it,” Felicity assured him. She walked over to where her laptop was resting on a side table. “At this point my searches have searches and Cross is gathering some actual books for me to read through. A lot of this information hasn't filtered through to the online world yet. To say these people are 'old-school' is putting it lightly.” A lot of these 'people' were supernatural and therefore could be hundreds or even thousands of years old. The blonde froze as something occurred to her...something she should have pieced together before now...something the hints had always been there and now with the information she'd been given earlier that morning...great google! Exactly how old were Cross and Dare?

The genius' mind raced as she filtered through previously overlooked breadcrumbs...

Cross and Dare and their old noble bloodlines, how calmly they handled every crazy new situation to pop up, their references to having years of experience on Felicity, the respect and almost awe Riley treated them with...

 _“Sneaking out dressed as a boy myself,”_ Cross had said of her youthful exploits. Nothing so shocking in this day and age, but in the past? When women were sheltered and oppressed?

“Felicity?” She snapped out of her musing to the sensation of warmth as Oliver's chest came to rest against her back. His hands ran from her shoulders down her arms and then to clasp her own. He threaded his fingers through hers and snuggled his chin against her temple. “Hey, you okay?”

Was she? “I don't know what to do,” she told him. “I just keep moving...I have to keep moving...because if I stop...” if she stopped she would fall apart. She would think about the fact that she was a VAMPIRE slayer, that she was being trained by vampires, that her cousin was some strange half vampire...that everything in her life had exploded in less than a week and now she was just supposed to deal with it all and become some kind of chosen SUPERHERO for the forces of light! Someone had read their tea leaves wrong! She was NOT this girl! She was the fracking TECH SUPPORT!

Seeming to understand her even better than she understood herself, Oliver squeezed their joined hands and lifted them to wrap around her waist. He sighed and hugged her close and then she was all wrapped up in Oliver. Somehow he knew exactly what she needed and Felicity thought that maybe, just maybe, he was strong enough to help her hold her broken pieces together. He was Oliver, her badass vigilante superhero of a best friend. He was the man she couldn't stop loving no matter how hard she tried or how deep she buried it. If anyone could see her through this, could help her weather this unending shitstorm of supernatural and destiny, surely it was him.

“If you stop then I'm here,” Oliver assured her, “and I'm not going anywhere.” He rubbed his chin back and forth against her hair and he was so warm and solid. And Felicity NEEDED him...she needed this. She loved him so damn much and she just couldn't deal with anything else right now. She was trying so hard to keep her head above water and she didn't have TIME to sit and work through the changing dynamics of their ever-evolving relationship. She just needed...she needed THIS. She needed him to hold her, and to love her in whatever capacity he was able...because she didn't know if she could face this life without him, if she could stand between the actual forces of darkness and the innocents of their city and she could fight, but she DID know that she didn't want to. She didn't want to lose him. She wanted Oliver.

“I'm here, Felicity.” And oh-my-god had she blurted any of that out loud? Felicity stiffened, but Oliver shook his head and only kept her pulled snugly up against him. “I'm not going anywhere...WE'RE not going anywhere. I've got you and we have time. You need to breathe. You're going to be okay. We're going to be okay.” He backed up with her still held again him. He maneuvered them around and sat them both on her couch, tucking her up against his side. “Now why don't you tell me about your cousin?” Felicity stiffened again and Oliver shook his head and explained. “Not your cousin the vampire, Felicity. Just tell me about your cousin Meredith the person. It occurs to me that even as close as we are, and as long as we've known each other, I don't really know very much about your family.” He lifted one brow and smiled at her. “I want to know all about you, Felicity. So how about you start by telling me about your crazy cousin Meredith?”

Felicity frowned. “We have to go...”

But Oliver shook his head again. He rubbed his hand up and down her arm. “We've got time. Talk to me, Felicity.”

So Felicity took in a deep breath and blew it back out. She thought about her tiny little whirlwind of a cousin and a reluctant chuckle slipped out of her mouth. She smiled and rested her head back against Oliver's shoulder. “Well, first of all, sources say she's gonna HATE you.”

Oliver nodded. “That much I suspected.”

==========


	24. Chapter Twenty-three

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Team Arrow meets at the Bronze for some specialized training. The two teams start to really get to know one another and find their individual strengths and weaknesses. Felicity gets a surprise during a sparring session and shows off more than she planned.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Hey guys! Thank you so much to everyone who reviewed the last chapter! I will try to reply to everyone at some point today. I'm back on my work week and working nights so I'm gonna crash here shortly. But I wanted to get this next chapter up and I hope everyone enjoys it! Please let me know what you think! I'm kinda extremely exhausted and I can't really think straight...lol. Please excuse any mistakes. 
> 
> You can also find me on tumblr as @mshellbrat :-)
> 
> HERE GOES!
> 
> ==========  
> Disclaimer: I own NOTHING!...except my original characters and their imaginary organization...  
> ==========

==========

The closed sign was up on the door of the club. Felicity frowned and lifted her hand to knock. Seconds later the door swung open and her cousin stood on the other side. “LISSY!” Correction: her drunk cousin stood on the other side. And...why was she answering the door? Great google, she hadn't done anything drastic, had she? Where were Dare and Cross? 

Meredith snorted. “I can practically hear you babbling right now. You've got that...” she reached up to point between her eyes and above her nose.

“You notice that too?” Oliver asked.

“Yep,” Meredith nodded slowly and carefully...as though she might fall over if she moved too fast. Then she frowned and pointed at Oliver. “Wait a minute...I don't like you!”

Felicity sighed and rested one hand on her hip. “Meredith...”

Meredith rolled her eyes and swung the door open wide. “Whatever, you've always had shit taste in men. This one is just rich and preppy.” The brunette spun on her heel and walked away before Felicity could reply or scold her again. 

Felicity frowned and followed her cousin inside. 

Oliver trailed behind her. “I am not preppy,” she heard him mutter. 

“She only knows you from the tabloids, Oliver. 'Preppy playboy' was your go-to persona until recently. Be happy she's not calling you 'man-candy' cause that's pretty much what I thought before I met you...tasty but regrettable.”

He paused. “I think I'm offended.”

Felicity looked back over her shoulder and lifted her brows. “Offensive was you believing I would buy your bullshit lies and cover stories just because you were cute. Two words: spilled latte.”

He grinned and she turned back to face the front and headed for the bar. Meredith and a vaguely familiar male blonde bartender were the only two people in the club's main room. Meredith was sitting on a bar stool with a glass of something dark red clasped in her hand. Felicity moved to stand beside the tiny brunette and eyed her glass with a mix of disapproval and uneasiness. Did she even want to know what that was?

Meredith ignored her look and focused on Oliver instead. She scrunched up her face. “I still can't believe you're the frickin Arrow. I'm seriously displeased.” She ignored the shock that announcement provoked and looked to her cousin. “I mean I actually thought he was kinda cool. The Arrow that is,” she clarified with a sneer, “not Boy Queen over there.”

“Meredith!” Felicity hissed. She didn't know who had decided to fill Meredith in on that little revelation, but they needed a stern talking to. The blonde looked pointedly toward the bartender and then glared at her cousin.

Meredith snorted and took a sip of her drink. “What Ryder? Like he cares. He's a Pure.”

The bartender in question shifted uncomfortably and leaned against the other side of the bar from Meredith. “You know, Luv, if you could NOT share that information with every random vigilante to cross your path, that would be brilliant.”

Felicity chuckled at the overly dramatic British accent and sarcastic drawl. Now that she thought about it...or well paid attention to the signals her slayer senses were sending out anyway...she did recognize the aura (for lack of better terminology) he was giving off. He felt like Dare and Cross except...less somehow. Less powerful, maybe?

Oliver's teeth were gritted and he couldn't seem to decide if he wanted to glare at Meredith or the other man. Felicity hoped he settled on Ryder because Meredith was pretty much a lost cause. Her cousin had no shame. “What is a Pure?” 

Oh, Ryder then, good. Felicity waved him off. “Cross and Dare are Pures. I'll explain later. They're champions of the forces of Light.” She thought about her own words and looked Ryder over doubtfully. With his lean body, floppy blonde hair, and pretty boy face, he didn't exactly strike her as the heroic type.

Ryder stared back at her. “I'm a bartender.”

Meredith snickered. “Ryder here shares my philosophy about the End Wars. He knows he has to fight, but he has no desire to be standing up on the front lines.” She grinned toothily at her cousin. “He'll be perfectly happy to be that guy standing at the back of the army waving a flag.” She lifted her hand and waved it back and forth to mimic the action.

Felicity groaned and ran her hands over her face. She wasn't even touching that one. She focused on Ryder. “Where are Cross and Dare?”

Ryder turned to pick up the landline behind him. He hit two and waited. “Got Felicity and her attack dog up here. Someone needs to bring them down.” He replaced the receiver and pointed toward the hallway. “Head back to the training room. They'll show you the way.”

Felicity nodded. “Thanks.” She looked back toward her cousin and found Meredith, once again, studying Oliver as though he were an especially annoying fly walking along her web. 

“Can't believe you've totally ruined all my Arrow fantasies now. I was always a Legolas girl, you know?” the brunette pouted. “Can't you like NOT be the Arrow? I hear there's some loser in Gotham dressing up as a bat. Steal his thunder.”

Felicity blinked wide eyes and reached back to put her hand on Oliver's arm. She felt him sigh and relax, then she turned back and leaned over the bar threateningly at Ryder. “And no more alcohol for her! She's cut off!”

Ryder shrugged. “Sorry, Luv, but Dare told me to give her whatever she wanted so long as she stopped harassing him. He's the boss.”

Felicity literally saw red. She was going to KILL her mentor! SERIOUSLY? “Dare and I will be having a little chat about the acceptable methods of dealing with my cousin,” Felicity growled, “and CROSS is your boss!” She didn't wait for his response. She stormed off toward the training room trusting Oliver to follow behind her. 

========== 

Case was leaned up against the wall. He was wearing a gray wifebeater and black athletic shorts. Felicity couldn't help pausing to take in his massive arms, his massive thighs, his massive EVERYTHING. Damn, Cross was one lucky woman. He nodded. “Sup?”

Felicity nodded back but kept her lips glued together. She knew herself well enough to feel that embarrassing near-sexual-harassment worthy babble coming on. Oliver would not be amused. 

Case's eyes twinkled and he smirked at her as though he could read her thoughts. He even had dimples, she noticed. Felicity felt her face heat and did her best to look professional. 

Oliver cleared his throat. “Are you our escort?”

“Yep,” Case stood up straight and led them down another hallway off the side of the training room. Felicity found it strange that she'd never noticed it before. She found it even stranger when the hall dead-ended at an elevator. Case lifted his hand and placed it on a scanner beside the elevator. The panel lit up and scanned his palm. Then he reached down and hit the button. The doors immediately opened and he motioned them inside. Case hit the button labeled 'T2' as the doors slid closed.

“You're joining the training?” Oliver asked.

“I'm helping assess the humans,” Case said. “Cross and Dare have to give too much of a handicap to get an accurate baseline. I can go full out.” He cut his eyes to Oliver. “Your man Diggle isn't bad. The kid is a little rougher around the edges, but his archery is a nice advantage. We need to focus on keeping them both at range if possible.”

Oliver lifted one brow. “You'll be assessing me?”

The elevator stopped and the doors opened. Case stepped out and waited for them to follow. Felicity looked around. They were standing in a large open training facility. There were several areas set up for different specializations. To one side, the slayer saw mats for hand-to-hand, there was another area with a large weapon case obviously dedicated to close-combat weapons' training, an archery range was situated to the left, and finally a door leading to what Felicity could see was a firing range.

Felicity noticed Cross standing with Roy and Laurel in the archery range. Dare stood with John and Riley in the firing range. 

“Let's go, Arrow,” Case said to Oliver, “you're up.” He walked toward the mats.

Oliver followed the larger man, already reaching to pull off the t-shirt he'd changed into before they left her house. 

Felicity debated finding a good seat just to enjoy the show, because YUM, but finally sighed and decided to be responsible. The things she sacrificed for her fight against the forces of evil. She headed for Cross instead. 

The female Pure was standing back and watching as Laurel shot a crossbow at a target. She stepped forward and corrected Laurel's stance, then backed off to watch the other woman again. Felicity stopped beside her. “Hey.”

“Hey, Sweetie.”

The blonde studied Laurel. “You been at this long?”

Cross smirked and lowered her voice. “Ms. ADA was waiting outside the club when I got back.”

Felicity winced. Ever eager Laurel would decide to show up early. “Sorry about that.”

Cross shook her head. “No need. She's just passionate,” the brunette looked at Felicity, “she's hungry. She wants to make a difference.”

“She's going to get herself killed,” Felicity whispered. Then she frowned again at Laurel because she found that she REALLY didn't want that to happen. Sometime over the last few days Laurel had started growing on her...somewhat like an unwanted moss, but still. Felicity genuinely didn't want anything bad to happen to the other woman. And not in that vague 'I protect everyone in this city' way, but in a personal 'I like Laurel' way. Felicity's eyebrows shot up. That was certainly unexpected. “Great google, I like Laurel!” The words even felt weird in her mouth.

The brunette in question snorted and looked back over her shoulder at Felicity. “I like you too, Felicity. Now try to sound a little more enthusiastic about it.”

Deciding to go for honesty, Felicity shrugged. “I really had no desire to be besties with Oliver's epic love.”

Laurel scowled at that description. “I am holding a weapon. Don't tempt me.”

“Laurel,” Cross frowned at the other woman sternly, “focus.” The lawyer nodded and turned back to her target practice. Cross lowered her voice. “We'll protect Laurel and we'll make sure she's prepared, Felicity, but joining this fight is her choice to make. You can't make it for her.”

A familiar mantra sounded in Felicity's thoughts and she threw back her head and groaned in frustration. “Let me guess...her life, her choice.”

Cross smirked. “Something like that.”

“Now you know why Oliver gets that look on his face every time you drop that line on him, Blondie,” Roy said as he joined them. He frowned as he looked to where his mentor was fighting Case across the room. “I was really hoping he would kick The Rock's ass, by the way. Arrow's letting us down.”

Felicity spun to look at Oliver concerned. He took a blow to the side and fell back, but quickly regained his footing and moved to retaliate. She realized he was holding his own. He and Case were trading blows back and forth. They appeared fairly evenly matched.

“He's the Arrow, Scarecrow,” Felicity told Roy, “not Iron Fist.” She cut her eyes to Cross. “Wait until you see him with a bow.”

The Pure ran her sharp eyes over Oliver's battle-tested frame. “He's got a lot more backbone than I gave him credit for. He's definitely not that pretty boy he tries to feed the rest of the world.”

Roy snorted. “More like mean angry asshole.”

“With an adamantium coated skull,” Felicity added.

Cross grinned and patted Felicity on the back. “He'll fit right in.” She looked back over to the mats consideringly. “I think he and Case are already bonding.”

Oliver somehow had the larger man pinned to the mat, but as they watched Case worked his leg free and flipped Oliver off. Both men popped to their feet and faced off again, and both of the were grinning. 

“God save us all,” Roy muttered.

========== 

Felicity dodged the swipe toward her face and spun back. She crouched and struck out with her left leg toward her attacker's core. The blow landed, but Cross rolled with it and popped right back to her feet. As the slayer studied her mentor waiting for her next move, her senses went wild. She jerked and tried to side step but a pair of iron-strong arms banded around her pinning her in place with her arms to her sides and her back to their chest. The predator inside of her raged at the confinement. 

Following her instincts, Felicity first went limp, then threw her head backward and pushed out and up with her arms. Her captor avoided her head, but she was able to dislodge the arms around her in the confusion. She scrambled to the side, putting both threats before her. Both Cross and Dare faced her. She bared her teeth at Dare.

He just smirked back at her, then she jerked as his eyes flashed bright yellow and he opened his mouth to reveal sharp elongated canines. Something poured over Felicity as the slayer recognized the threat and rose to meet it. Her hand gripped for a stake that wasn't there. Her eyes danced around for a weapon, any weapon.

The vampires stepped closer. Felicity danced back and to the side, keeping them equidistant and in front of her. Her mind raced and she scanned the walls spotting weapons across the room and behind the threats. 

The slayer was just about to make a move when her senses registered movement behind her again. She spun ready to attack, but stayed her hand as she recognized human and frowned. Another instinctive duck and she barely escaped the arms of the stronger male threat. She grabbed the human boy and drug him with her to the wall. She shoved him safely behind her and readied herself to defend. 

A loud burst of laughter sounded from the right. Felicity jerked and then...then she felt the slayer receding...her normal rational mind came back online, and she flushed in embarrassment at the display she'd just put on in front of her team. John and Laurel were laughing their asses off. Oliver looked vaguely disturbed, and Roy...

“Oh Google!” Felicity realized. She spun and looked at Roy shoved up against the wall behind her. 

The younger man was eyeing her chagrined. His face, she noticed, was also red.

“You okay there, Roy?” Digg called out.

“Think I might have pissed myself, actually,” Roy finally shook his head and laughed. He cocked a brow at Felicity. “Remind me to stay on your good side from now on, Blondie.”

“This,” Laurel called as she held up her phone, “I am saving for Thea.” She laughed again and started typing on the device. “Roy getting drug around like a rag-doll was definitely worth the price of admission.”

“Come on, Lance!” Roy protested

Laurel cackled evilly. “You're just lucky I'm not posting it on YouTube. Consider this payback for the last fifty snide comments you've made about me.”

Cross stepped forward shaking her head. “What were you thinking, Roy?”

Roy flushed again. He lifted one hand to rub the back of his neck. “Two on one's not fair. I was trying to even the odds.”

Even Cross and Dare laughed at that, but Felicity just smiled widely at the red archer. She stepped up beside him and nudged him in the side with her elbow.

Roy nudged her back. “We're Team Arrow. We stick together.”

Felicity rested her head against his shoulder and continued to smile. It was just one more sign that her team wasn't going anywhere. She might be changing and growing with this new destiny, but her family still had her back. 

Roy tilted down his head and lowered his voice to a whisper. “Just so we're clear? You versus Canary? My money's on you.”

==========


	25. Chapter Twenty-four

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Oliver struggles to bury his own conflicted emotions and be there for Felicity as she's always been there for him.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Hey guys! First of all, thank you again to everyone who reviewed the last chapter. I really appreciate your continued support and feedback. I will do my best to respond to all of your feedback at some point today. You guys rock! Thanks again!
> 
> NOW...for this chapter...
> 
> I've had several comments from people wanting to see Oliver's take on the new Felicity. I was very hesitant to try to dig my way into Oliver's brain before now. I've never tried to cover his pov before. It's not that I'm afraid of writing for men, one of my favorite characters to write for IS a male, but Oliver made me a little nervous. So much of what makes up his character is left unsaid. I just knew that he was a wordy bastard in his thoughts. I didn't want to screw up the story, to confuse or disappoint you guys, or to not do him justice. Well, I'm giving it a shot! If it sucks...lol...then I'll stick to Felicity from now on.
> 
> PLEASE let me know what you think guys! I'm very nervous about this one. Your feedback would be greatly appreciated. :-)
> 
> ALSO: My sister, who created Meredith originally, has lately gotten inspired to start writing again. She's started writing some Meredith Outtakes. They start with some of Meredith's backstory and what led her to leave her former home and seek out Felicity, but have now actually reached Starling and are covering some missing scenes that fit with the actual story. If anyone is interested then please check it out! She's @zombiegirl8915 on tumblr. You can also find ME on tumblr as @mshellbrat
> 
> Thanks again! Here goes!
> 
> ==========  
> Disclaimer: I own NOTHING!...except my original characters and their imaginary organization... :-)  
> ==========

==========

As he watched Felicity, _his_ Felicity, dodge strikes moving too fast to counter, too fast to fully see and follow with human eyes, Oliver swallowed down the knot of frustration and panic and bone-deep fear in his throat. Giving in to those emotions, acting out and throwing a hissy fit (as his babbling genius loved to call them) wouldn't help anyone, least of all the genius in question. And Felicity had more than enough on her plate without adding 'handling Oliver' to the list. He was determined not to make this harder on her. He would be an advantage, not a liability. Felicity had stood by him through some of the hardest times of his life. She'd picked him up, dusted him off, and kept him going when nothing else seemed to even make a dent in his guilt and self-loathing. It was his turn to have her back now. He would support her. He would love her (he could admit the word to himself even if he hadn't found the right way, the right time, to admit it to her) and they would find a way to get through this just like they'd gotten through everything else.

“Good,” Dare, the male Pure (and he was still trying to wrap his head around that one), nodded and stepped forward to instruct Felicity. It went against his every instinct to allow this other man, this stranger, to control Felicity's training, but even Oliver had to admit that the Pure knew what he was doing. The vampire, and didn't that just grate, was much better equipped to prepare Felicity for this fight. Oliver stood very little chance in a hand-to-hand fight with these supernatural creatures. He wasn't fast enough, he wasn't strong enough, and only his wits, his instincts, and pure dumb luck would keep him alive if he couldn't keep the fight at range. It was as infuriating as it was terrifying. Not that he cared about his own life, but inability to protect the ones he loved...to protect his team? He'd rather be back on that damn island fighting mercenaries or pinned under Amanda Waller's thumb than in this situation. He did not like being a weakness.

“Every slayer is different,” Dare, the asshole, was telling the blonde. “You don't only come with standard abilities or strengths and weaknesses. You get the slayer package,” the man smirked, “but that's just the starting point. Then you get to customize.”

Cross, the female Pure who Oliver found himself liking MUCH more than the male asshole, snorted. “Must you always fall back on a car metaphor?”

The asshole shrugged. “I like cars.” He kept his stare focused on Felicity. “YOUR strengths? You're quick and you're very agile.”

Felicity's face scrunched up into one of those adorably cute expressions that, without fail, made Oliver want to smile. The fact that it, along with her entire concentration, was focused solely on the other man? The impulse faded and he fought back a scowl instead. “Agile is not a descriptor I ever expected to be connected to myself. I have been known to trip over air.”

The asshole cocked a brow and crossed his arms over his chest. “When's the last time that happened?”

Felicity pursed her lips and canted her head to the side as she thought about it. Finally she nodded. “Point.” She waved her hand. “I just became a Feral Druid. Check! Carry on!”

The asshole chuckled and shook his head. “What spec were you before exactly?”

Felicity gasped and laid her hand dramatically over her chest. She smiled widely at her mentor. “THIS is why you and I work as friends, Dare! We should TOTALLY be in the same guild! You understand me as a person!”

The asshole laughed again and Oliver ground his teeth as he watched their banter. He HATED this! Why couldn't Cross take the lead with Felicity? Wouldn't a woman work better with the slayer? 

“This girl is a gobby Frost Death Knight at heart, by the way,” Felicity pointed to herself. “I even know the dance.” And then she started dancing and wiggling her hips and hands as everyone watching burst out laughing. 

“Is that some whack version of the 'Single Ladies' dance, Blondie?” Roy called.

Felicity pointed her finger at him threateningly. “THIS is why you will never be as cool as Dare, Harper.” She pointed at the asshole. “He gets it!”

The asshole shook his head still laughing. “I do indeed, Sweetie, but you've taken us a little off topic.”

“She's good at that,” Roy noted.

Felicity smiled, turned her back to Roy, and shot him a bird where her mentor couldn't see. She blinked at the Dare. “You were saying?”

“I was saying,” he cocked one brow, “that you should use your quickness and your agility to your advantage. Unconsciously, you already are.” Without warning he took a threatening step toward her. Felicity danced backward out of his reach. She lifted her hands into a ready position. The Pure nodded to her stance. “Like I said...quick and agile.”

Felicity frowned and tilted her head to the side again. “So I'm good at being avoidy?”

“He's right, though,” Finn spoke up from off to the side. Oliver threw him a disgruntled look. All that asshole needed was someone else agreeing with him. “Buffy's more of a powerhouse. You piss her off and she just beats the shit out of you.” He made a face. “Whereas Faith uses sexuality and deception as distractions. She throws her opponents off their game and then goes for their weak spots.”

Oliver could practically see Felicity working through their suggestions in that brilliant brain of hers. Her eyes were bright and calculating. They also held a hunger, an aggression, that Oliver wasn't accustomed to seeing there. He wasn't sure if the sight was more disturbing or arousing, honestly. He'd never wanted this for Felicity, for his girl, but he couldn't deny that it looked good on her either. She was still just as beautiful, just as bright and clean and pure. Somehow adding this new layer only brought her further into focus, as though it had always been buried there just beneath the surface waiting for someone to wake it up. If everything Riley and the asshole said could be believed, maybe it had. Maybe this really WAS her destiny all along. And if this was who Felicity was meant to be, then what did that mean for them? For him? Because staring down Satan himself wouldn't convince Oliver to give her up. He'd walked through hell before and for far less worthy causes. There wasn't anything he wouldn't do, wouldn't be, to keep Felicity safe and by his side where she belonged. Even, apparently, swallowing his pride and listening to that asshole Pure... standing back and watching as he trained her...as he made her smile and laugh...as he comforted and reassured her...

“So I should use my instinctive evasion to frustrate them and keep their hands off of me until they give me an opening I can utilize,” Felicity's voice shook Oliver from his musing.

Dare nodded. “Very few vampires have the patience to wait you out, Felicity. Most are slaves to their amplified emotions. They get frustrated and they make mistakes.”

“A lot of them are also pretty stupid,” Finn offered. “Most Possessed don't turn based on brainpower.”

Cross laughed and shared a smile with Dare. “The 'Brad Pitt' theory.”

Dare rolled his eyes, then noticed Felicity's attention was caught. He motioned for Cross to continue.

Cross cleared her throat. “Who would you rather spend eternity with? Brad Pitt or Joe Ugly?”

Felicity gasped and turned horrified eyes on Oliver. She'd obviously just stamped an expiration date on his forehead. The vigilante didn't know whether to be offended or amused. The rest of the assembled fighters chose amused and Oliver stared back at Felicity stoically as laughter echoed around him.

Felicity bit her lip and turned back to her mentors. “So...uh...you're just noticing this about me now?”

“No,” Dare said, “I've been assessing you as you've trained with Cross all week.”

This was news to Oliver. Apparently Felicity hadn't actually been training with Dare before today. 

Felicity nodded. “Okay, so...that's why you haven't trained with me before? Because you were observing?”

Dare paused to consider his answer before speaking. “I thought it best that you start off your training with Cross while you were still getting your feet wet. She'd give you less of a handicap and we'd have a better assessment of your growing skills.”

“Why?” Laurel spoke up and Oliver winced even before the words left her mouth. “Because she's a woman?” He knew that was coming.

The Pure was unamused. He threw Laurel a sarcastic smile. “No, Sweetheart, because she's two hundred and fifty years younger than me.” He clearly enjoyed the stunned silence that followed.

Oliver decided, once again, that his assessment was correct. Dare was an asshole. Oliver, himself, had already reached the conclusion that both Pures were much older than they appeared. Several thoughtless, or perhaps thoughtful, comments dropped by Case while sparring had clued the vigilante in to the possibility. He and Digg had discussed the subject earlier at length. Felicity, it appeared, wasn't there yet.

Oliver moved to support the gasping blonde genius who was pointing at her mentor and trying to push words and not just hysterical syllables out of her mouth. He pulled her up against his side and tried to ignore just how good, how right, she felt there. Now was not the time. He glared at the arrogant asshole vampire.

Dare grimaced and his expression softened and turned apologetic as it settled on Felicity. He gritted his teeth and took in a deep breath. Then he turned and looked at Laurel again. “I'm not a sexist, Ms. Lance. The most powerful being I've ever encountered is, in fact, a woman. Her name is Skye and she's my sire.”

“He's not kidding,” Riley spoke up.

Dare stepped forward and reached out to place a hand on Felicity's shoulder. She jerked slightly and he winced. He lowered his voice. “I'm sorry, Sweetie. I shouldn't have broken it to you like that. You deserved better.”

“Understatement,” Oliver growled.

Felicity took in a shaky breath and rested her head against Oliver's shoulder. “I had...I'd considered...but...”

Dare nodded, his eyes earnest. “I will tell you anything you want to know. I am sorry. That was a shit move and I know better.”

“I just...” Felicity looked away from the Pure and up at Oliver, “I kinda need a minute. Can we take a walk?”

“Yep,” Oliver forced a smile for her benefit and his eyes dared the asshole to object. He turned and led her back toward the elevator. 

Case was waiting on them. He had the elevator door open and nodded to Oliver. “We need to get you two scanned into the system later so you don't have to have an escort. Give you fifteen?”

“Thanks,” Oliver said. He walked Felicity inside and noticed the 'G' button was already highlighted. The doors slid closed and Felicity groaned and banged her head against him. Oliver ran his hand over the back of her head and threaded his fingers through her blonde ponytail. “You're okay. It's going to be okay.”

Felicity burrowed closer against him and Oliver sighed and enjoyed it entirely too much. Yea, okay, he acknowledged, maybe he was an asshole too. 

Then his blonde genius was storming down the hallways and straight toward the bar. She slapped her hand down on the wooden surface. “ALCOHOL! NOW!”

“That's the spirit!” her cousin, the half-vampire (and no this wasn't getting any less weird) slurred. She was still sipping on a glass of something dark red. Oliver knew what it looked like but he really didn't want confirmation. He averted his eyes and went back to studying the cousin he was crazy about.

Felicity couldn't seem to decide if she wanted to raise hell about her drunken cousin or bury herself in the bottom of a glass. The bartender answered that for her by sliding a glass of red wine her way.

“Here you go, Luv,” the bartender smiled, “on the house.”

Oliver glared at the smarmy git, then watched as Felicity lifted the glass in a toast. “For Thea!” He snorted quietly as she quickly drank the glass down.

“Hey,” Meredith nodded, “that works! You want me to bankrupt them? I can totally drink them poor.” She took a swallow from her own glass and sniffed. “I'm not paying for this shit. I left Nik's credit card in Edencrest with Nik.” She frowned and her shoulders slumped. 

And Oliver noticed for the first time how fragile the loud-mouthed brunette appeared. Suddenly he found himself thinking of Thea...of his somewhat damaged little sister who had lived through entirely too much for so young an age. Thea, who covered everything with anger or a sarcastic smile, who talked big and bad to cover her tears and emotional scars. He looked over Felicity's cousin with new eyes and he wondered exactly what weight those slumped shoulders carried.

Meredith shrugged. “I figured stealing his credit card on top of the whole... _arson_ thing, would just be adding insult to injury.”

And Felicity froze...and Oliver silently groaned, because they really didn't need any more drama on top of the soap opera they were already living. Still, the blonde slayer carefully sat down her glass and turned to her cousin. “Arson?”

The drunken half-vampire sighed. “I told you I burned some bridges...” she paused and pursed her lips, “technically it was more like...a house.”

While Felicity whimpered and banged her head down against the bar, Oliver turned to glare at the tiny brunette. 

She rolled her eyes dramatically back at him. “People in green hoods don't get to throw stones, _Ollie_! Besides,” she waved her hand in the air, “it was really only the living room. The fire department got there surprisingly fast.”

“Are you wanted?” Oliver's voice was a low growl. They did not NEED this right now!

Meredith lifted one arrogant brow. “Are you?” When he didn't back down, she huffed. “No, I'm not wanted. I'm half-vampire. My best friend, who owned the damn house, is full Traditional vampire. Chrissy, who I only escaped dragging with me through espionage and by the grace of god, is also full Traditional vampire. In no way did our fire department CARE that I set that house on fire. Even if my friends weren't around to persuade them, which they were, the fire department would have happily sat back and roasted marshmallows if they thought that Micah and/or Lisa would perish trying to put out the fire themselves.” She leaned toward Oliver and seethed. “Edencrest is the largest active Hellmouth. No one in that town is ACTUALLY stupid enough not to notice what's really going on. They know that's a vamp house and they wouldn't care if it burned to ash. HAPPY NOW?”

Felicity groaned again, but she sat back up and waved for Ryder to refill her glass. Oliver rubbed a soothing hand up and down her back. His girl cut her eyes to her cousin. “Surprisingly, I actually do feel better,” she canted her head to the side, “but you are no longer allowed access to matches or lighters. I like my house.”

==========


	26. Chapter Twenty-five

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Felicity and Team Arrow face their first night of slayer patrol. Things, as always, don't exactly go according to plan.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Hey guys! Thanks to everyone who commented on the last chapter. I really appreciate the feedback and your continued support for the story. I'm sorry for the wait on this one, but I had a horrible horrible work week and now I'm spending the holiday weekend with family. Hopefully the next chapter won't take me as long to get out. I will try to respond to everyone's feedback soon. Thank you again!
> 
> Note for this chapter: When I started this story, it was with the intention for it to be kinda light, funny, and fun. I wasn't trying for dark or angsty and I'm still not. This chapter and the fight scenes will reflect that. I was going more for the Buffy-type feel...where she cracks jokes and crazy things happen and there is plenty of bumbling by the Scoobies. I'm not saying that Buffy didn't have some deeply dark and angsty stuff (because it TOTALLY did), but it also had vampires getting beheaded by cymbals, and Giles always getting knocked out, and Willow and Xander tripping over their own feet, and SPIKE who was funny just by existing. I'm not trying for dark and serious and certainly not for technical. My goal is to have fun and make the scenes fun. I hope you enjoy it! I would love to know what you think. :-)
> 
> You can also find me on tumblr as @mshellbrat
> 
> Here goes!  
> ==========  
> Disclaimer: I own NOTHING!...except my originals and their imaginary organization...  
> ==========

==========

“So,” Felicity looked up and toward her cousin who was sitting irreverently on top of a gravestone and kicking her feet back and forth still wearing her borrowed hot-pink mini, “exactly how long do we have to wait before...” she leaned over and looked down, “Edward here decides to make an appearance?” Before anyone could answer, she snorted to herself. “Edward the Vampire...dude should thank us for putting him out of that misery.”

Felicity glared at the tiny brunette. “Mere!” 

Felicity, her cousin, and her mentor Dare were all currently waiting for poor Edward to awaken to his most-likely short undead afterlife. Felicity because this was to be her first actual battle against a vampire, Dare for backup and support should she need it, and Meredith because the half-vampire insisted she had to 'protect' her cousin. Dare had argued against her inclusion, but Meredith had pointed out her half-vampire status and that the new vamp would probably overlook her in any case. She also assured them that she was well versed in “ripping out hearts”...cause that was SUPER reassuring.

And Oliver? Well, he and Roy were positioned at range with a clear view of the area. The Pures had supplied them with wooden arrows. Digg was running comms, and Cross, Case, Riley, and Laurel were actually keeping an eye out on the rest of the city while Team Arrow were distracted.

Meredith rolled her eyes at Felicity and turned her focus on Dare. “Are we working on a specific timetable? Ballpark figure?”

Dare frowned. “You're a vampire...and you said you weren't new to this.”

Meredith waved her hand. “We didn't troll graveyards. We helped keep 'The Bronze' a safe zone and pitched in whenever some dumbass tried to open the Hellmouth.” Meredith made a face. “That last part just happened every other week or so. There are a lot of supernatural dumbasses.”

Felicity stared at her. “Every other week or so?” Just how often was she supposed to be dealing with these supernatural threats?

“This is a full-time job, Felicity,” Dare answered. He seemed to understand where her thoughts were headed. “This is every night. You know this isn't going away.”

Felicity groaned and gritted her teeth. She held up one finger for Dare and Meredith to give her a minute and marched away a bit. She lowered her voice and spoke to Oliver via comms. “Oliver, you CANNOT follow me around every night. You have to protect the city.”

“You realize we can still hear you, right?” Meredith called. “Vampires!”

“I'm also on comms,” Dare noted.

Felicity ignored them. “Oliver!”

< I'm exactly where I belong, Felicity...protecting you. >

Felicity glared toward the mausoleum she knew he was perked on. “That is not an acceptable response. Starling needs the Arrow!”

< A vampire infestation, an active hellmouth...these are the greatest threats Starling is currently facing. We ARE protecting this city. >

“This isn't your fight!” Felicity insisted.

< It is now. >

< Come on, Blondie, > Roy spoke up. < You can't honestly expect us to let you face this alone. >

“I'm not alone,” the slayer pointed back toward Dare and her cousin. “I have supernatural training, abilities, and backup. It doesn't take five people to kill one possessed vampire. This guy's probably going to pee himself.”

“She kinda has a point,” Meredith agreed. “I mean, we've got the slayer, a half-vamp, Dare the Pure, Red Fish and Green Fish out there, and let's not forget G.I. Joe back in the van. This is basically the roster to stop a decent size mini-apocalypse back in Edencrest. Good ole Eddie would probably rather dig his way to China than pop up here.”

“Would you stop mocking the victim?” Felicity hissed as she walked back over to join them.

Meredith canted her head to the side. “Yea...no, no I won't. The victim is gone. He's a Possessed now and you're fixing to kill him. You can't feel SORRY for him.” Her long brown curls danced around her shoulders as she pointed at Felicity sternly. “It's a rule!”

Felicity looked at Dare for help. The Pure winced and lifted a hand to rub the back of his neck. “As much as I hate to agree with drunken terror...”

“See!” Meredith gloated and hopped to her feet now standing on the headstone. “Even Ponyboy knows I'm right! You can't start humanizing every Possessed you face, Lissy. They have no souls. They're...” she pondered what word to use.

“Cockroaches,” Dare reluctantly supplied.

“Hmm,” Meredith pursed her lips, “I usually associate that particularly insect with Micah, but yea...” she nodded, “that works too.”

And Felicity wondered if she even wanted to know who Micah was. She filed the name away for another day. Now wasn't the time. She focused back on Oliver in her ear (and hey she didn't even think an embarrassing innuendo in her head that time...so she was calling that progress). “Oliver, the point is? THIS is massive overkill! This cannot become a nightly routine.”

Meredith nodded again. “Back in the day? One slayer and a stuffy British guy in tweed...who basically just watched and took notes.”

“This isn't back in the day,” Dare frowned at Meredith and she tossed him a 'duh' expression in return, “but we also don't need an army for every cemetery patrol. I allowed it tonight because it's Felicity's first kill. I understand her team's apprehension.”

< You ALLOWED it? > Oliver growled.

“Don't get your panties in a bunch, Ollie,” Dare mocked, “I'm well aware that I'm stuck with your ass for the foreseeable future.” He lifted his brows and looked at his slayer. “But Cross and Case did not sign up permanently for your crusade. They're covering tonight so your team can see what we're dealing with. As for tomorrow on? Other arrangements are going to have to be made. We only deal with human threats under very specific circumstances. We can't endanger the balance.”

“Great google,” Felicity realized, “I'm actually going to have to train someone on comms.” She was going to be spending every night in the field. She could research, develop, hack whatever was needed during the daylight hours and downtime, but during peak business hours she was going to be permanently unavailable. This was a disaster!

< Can I vote for...not Laurel? > Roy quipped.

< We'll worry about this later, > Oliver said. 

“We will most definitely be talking about this later,” Felicity said, “but I will be worrying about this now. I'm an excellent multitasker.” She looked back toward the newly dug grave. “I can both watch dirt and freak out about letting someone else mess with my babies.”

“SHIT!” Dare cursed.

Felicity jumped and looked at her mentor. Dare was facing the direction where Oliver, Roy, and their current squat were located. Felicity frowned and turned as well. “What...” but her senses went wild. Her eyes narrowed and she spotted three figures moving through the darkness. As her eyes focused in, she recognized the female in the middle. “Oh frack!”

“Looks like Big Mamma decided to come pick up her new boy toy personally,” Meredith noted, “and she brought friends.”

“Arrow, Arsenal, behind you!” Felicity called. 

Before she could even move in that direction, Meredith flashed by her at supernatural speed. Dare followed the half-vampire and Felicity ran after them. By the time she reached the fight, Dare had grabbed one vampire and thrown him away to buy them some time, then taken on the female who was obviously the largest threat. Meredith growled and jumped on the third male's back as he tried to reach the mausoleum and climb toward the vigilantes. 

That left the other male for Felicity and she placed herself between the Possessed and her team. The vampire studied the blonde with a smirk. He looked over her jacket, yoga pants, and sneakers. Then he sniffed the air and laughed unimpressed. “Now what is a cute little blonde like you doing in a place like this? Don't you know good little girls get eaten?”

Felicity opened her mouth to respond, but the vampire yelled in pain as an arrow tore through his shoulder. The slayer knew the archer without looking. “HEART, ARSENAL! Aim for the heart!”

< Sorry, Blondie. I'm working on it. > Roy replied. < Keep him distracted. >

Felicity scoffed in disgust. “I love you, Scarecrow, but I don't think he's going to stand there so you can correct your aim.”

The vampire dove toward Felicity and she followed her instincts and danced to the side. He growled and Felicity finally got a good look at his real face. His forehead was deformed, twisted with wrinkles and bumps. His eyes glowed yellow with demonic energy, and his fangs glinted at the sides of his mouth. Okay, she was finding it a lot easier not to humanize him now.

“I'm starting to appreciate the sparkly 'Twilight' version,” Felicity muttered. “These things are fugly!”

< Felicity! > Oliver's voice was frantic. Felicity knew he must be tied up in a fight of his own.

“Hold on, Lissy!” Meredith shouted. “I forgot to bring a stake.”

Felicity looked back to see her cousin yanking viciously on her opponent's hair, still riding his back. As she watched the tiny brunette dove forward and clamped her own fangs into the side of the Possessed's neck then ripped them back out tearing flesh and sending blood flying. And that was just all kinds of eww. 

A familiar dip in her stomach had Felicity dodging and just escaping the grip of her attacker. The vampire growled and tried to circle her. Felicity focused and matched his steps. She reached back and pulled free the stake hidden behind her back. She might need that. Google, but she was bad at this! 

The vampire growled even louder as it recognized her weapon. Felicity didn't know what came over her, but she smiled. She waved the chunk of wood back and forth. “Not so much fun when the little blonde fights back, huh?”

“Slayer!” he spat.

< Felicity stop taunting the vampire! > Digg reprimanded, but he sounded out of breath.

Felicity frowned. “Digg stay in the damn van!”

< Too late. On my way. >

“Fabulous,” Felicity rolled her eyes.

< Felicity! > Roy warned.

The slayer ducked and swept the vampire's legs out from under him. He hit the ground, but then rolled to the side before she could pin him down. Felicity frowned and chased him. Stupid stubborn undead cockroach...

“Don't play his game, Sweetie,” Dare's voice sounded from the right and Felicity danced back and away. She glanced quickly to her mentor. He was leaning against the mausoleum having obviously already finished off his opponent. Now he was turning this into a practical lesson. He notched his head toward the vamp. “Remember your training. Make him play yours.”

The vamp hissed realizing his odds just got worse. He leapt forward, then howled again, this time an arrow sliced through his abdomen. Felicity threw up her hands. “REALLY, ROY?!?”

< Hey, that asshole's fast, okay? I'm trying! >

“You need to slap more water!” Felicity said.

< Felicity, tell your idiot cousin to move the vamp back away from the mausoleum and get off his damn back so I can finish him off! > Oliver barked.

“I heard that, jackass,” Meredith growled, “I'm only about thirty feet from you and I've got enhanced hearing. Who's the idiot, again?”

The vamp facing Felicity paused momentarily and looked offended. “Exactly how many of you are there?”

And, of course, this was when John Diggle came running up gun drawn and ready to help. The vampire obviously decided it was time to retreat. He moved toward Digg. Felicity reacted on instinct to protect her team, more than that to protect her family. She pulled Digg out of the way, passed him off to a waiting Dare, and met the vampire head-on. She sent one kick to the vampire's core, then another before he could move or react. He stumbled back slightly and she jumped and spun to kick him full-force in the head. The vamp fell rolling on the ground, but this time Felicity planted her full weight across his chest and pinned him. She flipped the stake in her hand point down, then buried it through his heart. The vampire froze stunned, then burst into dust.

Felicity coughed and waved her hand to clear the dust. She scrambled to her feet and turned to face Digg and Dare. “You guys okay?”

John nodded wide-eyed. “I should have stayed in the van.”

Dare huffed a laugh and clapped the taller man on the shoulder. “It's all good. You were trying to help.”

One problem solved, Felicity now looked to Meredith. The tiny brunette was still riding the final vampire's back. Her hands and face were covered in blood and the vampire was stumbling and trying unsuccessfully to dislodge her. 

“Meredith, MOVE!” Felicity called.

Her cousin reacted immediately to Felicity's voice. She jerked the vampire into Felicity's direction, then pushed backward and let him go. Felicity threw a stake with perfect accuracy to lodge through his chest and into his heart. An arrow pierced him back to front at exactly the same time. The vampire looked down, cursed, then burst into dust.

“I am never gonna get use to that,” John muttered.

“Saves time on cleanup,” Dare pointed out.

A furious growl sounded from behind the mausoleum. Every head turned in that direction. They watched as an enraged demon in a dirty suit stalked toward them. 

Meredith frowned. “Shit, we forgot about Eddie!”

The new vampire paused briefly hearing it's former name. He growled again and tilted his head in Meredith's direction. He sniffed the air, then made a disgusted face and flinched back as though trying to get away from her. 

“You don't exactly smell like a bed of roses either, buddy,” Meredith drawled.

Felicity frowned and looked around for something to use for another stake. Dare waved for her to pause. The Pure leaned toward Felicity. “This guy's a Starling native, right?”

The slayer thought back over the information she'd pulled up on the victim's life. It hurt to think about the poor guy. Edward Thompson had been twenty-two. He'd had his whole life ahead of him. He took a night out at a club, left with the wrong girl, and now...he was this. “Yes,” Felicity frowned confused as she answered, “Starling born and raised.”

Dare nodded. “Good.” He stepped toward the newborn. “Hey Eddie!” The furious yellow eyes snapped in his direction. Dare just smiled and pointed toward the top of the mausoleum. “It's the Arrow!”

The newborn's head snapped toward where Oliver and Roy were positioned. He hissed in fear, then spun and started to run away. He only made it a few feet before Oliver put him out of his misery. As the arrow torn through his heart, he stumbled, then burst into dust. 

Felicity glared at Dare. The Pure shrugged in return. “It worked,” he noted. Then he clapped his hands together and dusted off his jeans. He walked forward toward Meredith and threw the tiny brunette an irritated glance. “I forgot to bring a stake?”

Meredith held up her blood-covered hands. “I tried for his heart. Sucker was too tall. I couldn't get the right angle.”

Felicity heard John choke behind her. She turned and walked over to support her friend and partner. She led him toward the others. Oliver and Roy were climbing down from the mausoleum to join them.

“SO,” Dare looked them all over with critical eyes, “you've all officially survived your first night of patrol. Let's review, shall we?”

==========


	27. Chapter Twenty-Six

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Felicity finds herself dealing with a new unexpected aspect of her life and Oliver has to deal with her as she rides it out. The two finally get a chance to talk, but while Felicity may be left frustrated Oliver is confident it's for the best.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Hey guys! First I want to thank everyone who commented on the last chapter. I really appreciate it. You guys keep me determined to keep pushing through and writing. Thank you SO much! I will try to respond to everyone sometime today or tonight. I'm back on my work week so I'm gonna crash here soon.
> 
> So...I was feeling pretty discouraged and I knew I needed to write, but I was really struggling with where to go with this chapter. I finally sucked it up last night and decided to try to use those chaotic emotions and just see what happened. SO...this happened...lol. This chapter was totally not planned. It wasn't supposed to go this way. I hope it isn't a total disaster. I didn't even get to have the final version okayed by my sister, but I needed to get it posted so...HERE GOES!
> 
> You can also find me on tumblr as @mshellbrat
> 
> ==========  
> Disclaimer: I own NOTHING!...except my original characters and their imaginary organization...:-)  
> ==========

==========

Felicity was jumping out of her own skin. She was literally bouncing up and down. Her mind was going a million miles a minute, her heart was pounding, and her whole body was buzzing. She was buzz buzz buzzing like a bee, or a live wire, or a...really buzzy vampire slayer. She tried humming inside her head, she tried humming out loud (that got her bitched at by Roy because apparently 'Can't Get You Out of My Head' was not an appropriate post-fight anthem), and then she just settled for trying her very best not to look like a crazy person. From the smirks her mentors had been sending her way, Felicity was pretty sure she failed harder at that than Oliver had at Harvard.

Felicity winced at the mean thought. Oliver was her _friend_ and she knew he wasn't stupid. He'd been an asshat who'd never really applied himself in college, but he definitely wasn't stupid. Which was totally beside the point at the moment because who cared about Oliver's old college transcripts? She'd killed two VAMPIRES tonight! HER! Felicity 'I'm Tech Support' Smoak! 

“Lissy, you still in there?” Meredith drawled.

Felicity jerked and looked to her cousin. She nodded quickly. “Yep, still right here.”

The tiny brunette eyed her warily from where she was leaning against the bar. The whole gang stood around. They had debriefed and reviewed and Dare had talked about lesson plans for moving forward. Felicity probably should have paid more attention to that, but buzzzzzzz...she really really needed to do something but she didn't know what! She was going to explode!

“I said Cross said I can crash here tonight,” Meredith told her, “and they might give me a job.”

Cross lifted a brow. “I don't remember mentioning a job.”

“Eh...” Meredith shook her hand back and forth, “you were getting around to it. I can't be worse than Ryder. I'm psycho about being on time.”

“Ryder doesn't drink himself under the bar,” Dare pointed out. “Our bartenders are dry. You want the job? You quit drinking.” Meredith threw him a nasty glare, but the Pure just grinned and blew her a kiss.

Felicity frowned and bit her lip. “You don't want to stay with me? I'm supposed to look after you!”

“That sounds like a good idea,” Oliver said at the same time as he reached out and rested his hand on Felicity's back. “Meredith staying here for the night, that is.”

She jumped at the contact and cut her eyes his way. She tried to glare, but then she got distracted by his eyes...those blue blue eyes...and those thick lashes...and his nose was kinda cute now that she looked at it. Not feminine cute, but more manly cute...was there a manly cute? She decided there was definitely a manly cute because everything about Oliver was manly. So he had a manly cute nose and then there were his lips...those full strong lips that she wanted to bite and...

“I'd like to keep an eye on Felicity tonight, if she's willing,” he cocked a brow at her.

And DAMN, that was so hot, and was he actually expecting a response right now that wasn't drool or more catchy song lyrics? She could sing him some really dirty Ludacris if pressed, but that was about all she had. Her brain was so fried. She just blinked up at him and refused to let her eyes drop back to his mouth. He would totally notice and that would be inappropriate...inappropriate and unprofessional. Oliver was not a piece of meat!

“I thought you might,” Meredith stepped forward and poked Oliver hard in the chest. “But I've been catching up with Little Red over there,” she hooked her thumb in Roy's direction, “and you better handle with care, Ollie. I don't give three strikes. I give one. You fuck this up and I'll fuck you up. Understood?”

Felicity didn't know what her cousin was talking about. She frowned at Roy. Meredith already hated Oliver based purely off his reputation. She didn't need any help from the team gossip. The red archer smirked and shrugged.

Oliver slid his hand from her back to around her waist, pulling her attention back to him. He guided her into a turn and led the way toward the door of the club and outside to his car. 

Felicity was still confused as she slid into the passenger seat and buckled the safety belt. She turned to Oliver. “I'm...very...” her words trailed off and she frowned.

“Buzzed, Felicity,” Oliver finished for her. “You're buzzed. It's the adrenaline. It will wear off and you'll crash.” He started the car and drove the familiar route toward her townhouse.

“Is that why I can't sit still?”

“Yes,” he said.

“And why I can't think straight?”

“Yes,” he said again.

Felicity took in slow deep breaths and counted as she blew them out. She tried to focus on calming down. Judging from her bouncing foot and shaky hands, it wasn't working. She looked around for something, anything, to focus on. Her eyes snagged on Oliver's hands gripping the steering wheel. She watched them clench and release as he maneuvered. His fingers slid across the leather and Felicity could feel the ghost of his caress against her back. His hands were so strong, so capable, and yet he was always gentle when he was touching her. What would it feel like when those fingers slid into other places? Felicity's breath hitched in her throat.

“Felicity...” Oliver groaned.

“What?” She bit her lip guiltily and jerked her eyes to his face.

His jaw was clenched and he stared at the road in front of them. “We have a lot to talk about.”

Felicity's jaw dropped. “You want to TALK, right now?”

Oliver huffed a laugh. “That's not what I meant, Felicity.”

“Well good,” Felicity nodded, “because I'm working really hard to string together sentences that don't include vulgar rap lyrics about whistles and lollipops.” She groaned and banged her head back against the seat. “It would probably be better if I just didn't speak at all, but that doesn't seem to be an option. Is this what it's like to be high? Why would people do this willingly?”

“It can feel really good to lose control if you give in to it,” Oliver said.

Felicity felt a flash of heat through her whole body. Her mouth went dry. She looked back to Oliver.

He grimaced and shifted in his seat. “Which we are not going to do...because we have a lot of things to talk about and I'm not going to take advantage of you.”

Felicity scoffed. “You almost kissed me on a mission, Oliver! A MISSION! When did you grow scruples?” She thought back to the charity dinner and suddenly she wished they'd just kissed already and gotten the damn thing over with. Oliver totally wouldn't be playing the gentleman card right now if this wasn't their first go round. He was Oliver frackin' Queen! He'd banged half the women in Starling! Why was she so different? 

“You aren't in your right mind, Felicity,” Oliver tried to reason with her.

The slayer snorted and crossed her arms over her chest. She knew she wasn't being fair, but for once, she didn't frackin' care. “Oh please! Like it's a secret that I want you ALL the time. I'm a fangirl surrounded by hotness, Oliver. And unlike Laurel, who is some strange breed of female immune to such things unless she's in heat or something, I have spent the last year and a half dreaming up smutty smutty sex scenes in my head while I was supposed to be focused on finding your next target.”

“I can't,” Oliver sighed and blew out a long breath, “I can't fuck this up, Felicity. I can't lose you.”

“You aren't going to lose me,” she argued.

“You deserve better than some adrenaline fueled quickie.”

Felicity scoffed and rolled her eyes. “It never stopped you with Sara.”

“YOU AREN'T SARA!” Oliver growled. He jerked the car to the side of the road and threw it into park. He turned to face her in the seat and she could feel the anger rolling off of him in waves. “I love Sara, Felicity. I always will.”

Felicity jerked her face to the side and stared out the window. That certainly cooled her ardor. 

Oliver reached out and grabbed her chin in his hand. He turned her face back in his direction and waited until she met his stare. Felicity ground her teeth and did her best to look unaffected. Oliver squeezed his eyes shut to calm himself and then continued. “I will always love Sara. What we went through together on that island formed a bond between us that no one else will ever understand. We're both broken, Felicity, and a lot of our broken edges fit together in just the right ways. We understand each other...we both know just how fucked up the other is...and we don't judge each other for it.”

Felicity's hands shook, but she buried them by her sides. She blinked at him and kept her face blank. “That's great.”

Oliver's eyes narrowed and he huffed. “I have never, however, been IN love with Sara, Felicity. Not before the island, not on the island, and not after.”

Felicity jerked, but Oliver refused to let go of her. He shook his head. “Uh uh, not until I'm finished....not until you listen to me and you understand.” He paused until she met his eyes again. “Sara and I should never have gotten involved... _either_ time. Before the island I was a coward and an asshole running away from a relationship that I couldn't even admit to myself I didn't want. I wasn't ready to move in with Laurel. Laurel and I didn't work. I cheated and lied and ran away and she enabled me and took me back over and over and over again. Taking Sara with me was a last ditch effort to show Laurel exactly how worthless I really was. Sara didn't matter. She was just the latest weapon I used against Laurel...and I ruined her life, Felicity. I damn near killed her.”

Felicity jerked her chin out of his hold and glared him down. “Sara is responsible for her own bad choices, Oliver. You didn't kidnap her and drag her with you. She pulled that shitty move all on her own.”

“She was just a kid,” Oliver said.

“She was old enough to know better,” Felicity shot back. 

Oliver shook his head. He ran his hand through his hair. “That's not my point anyway. I'm getting off track.” He looked to the side. “When I found out Sara was alive last year, it was a weight being lifted off of my shoulders. One less sin for me to carry. And one more person who I didn't have to lie to...to pretend with.” He looked back to Felicity and she knew he was trying to make her understand. “Sara _knew_ me, truly _knew_ me, Felicity. She knew exactly how far I could sink. She knew I was a killer, a monster, and she didn't care because she had her own set of fangs.” 

Felicity wanted to object, to argue that he wasn't a monster...that he'd come too far to keep pulling himself back down to that one-dimensional definition. There were too many shades of gray in this world for Oliver to keep painting himself the villain. If he really was that evil, if he really was as dark and irredeemable as he believed himself to be, then he wouldn't CARE about what he'd done. Monsters didn't fight the darkness, they reveled in it. Oliver was not a monster. He got up and he kept trying every day to be better, to do better. Felicity didn't know how to make him see that. 

“But you were different than Sara,” Oliver continued before she could piece together her own argument. “You were good, Felicity. You were light, and you were innocent, and you were clean. Putting my blood-stained hands on you? Dragging you down into this hole with me? THAT would damn me far quicker than marking names off my father's list ever would. I didn't deserve you,” he shrugged and huffed a laugh, “I never will.”

“URGH!” Felicity growled and scrubbed her hands over her face. “You are such a frackin' buzzkill, Oliver! I cannot have a deep heartfelt conversation with you when all I want is to climb you like a tree!” She waved her hand out to indicate his body. “Do you have any idea how nummy you look right now?”

Oliver snorted and shook his head. Felicity glared at him. “Do you really think that I'm so stupid and naive that I don't see you for who you really are? That I don't know you still carry more scars inside than the ones carved into your skin? I'm not a fool, Oliver, I'm a fucking genius! I know who you are. And the fact that I want you has very little to do with how unreasonably attractive God made you, and everything to do with the stubborn passionate over-protective asshole you are beneath that skin.” She canted her head to the side. “If all I wanted was a hot body, I'd be back at 'The Bronze' with Dare.”

Oliver gritted his teeth. “DON'T say that!”

Felicity sighed. “Yep, there's the asshole now.” She leaned forward until her nose brushed against his. “I don't want Dare, Oliver!”

“And I don't want Sara,” Oliver countered, but then he thought about it, “or Laurel.”

A small smiled curved Felicity's lips and she leaned forward a little more. “Good...then, why don't we...”

“Uh uh,” Oliver shook his head again and pulled back away from her, “you still aren't in your right mind.” Felicity glared at him, but he only chuckled at her frustration this time. Turning back to face the front, he restarted the car and eased them back into the road. “Sorry, but I'm not taking any chances with you. You're it for me, Felicity. We're doing this right.” Taking in her dejected expression as she muttered to herself and slumped back against the seat, Oliver tossed her a grin. “You wake up tomorrow morning and still want to play? I'll be all for it.”

Felicity narrowed her eyes and crossed her arms over her chest. “I want that in writing.”

==========


	28. Chapter Twenty-seven

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Felicity wakes up and has to deal with the fallout from her previous actions, but she may have a few surprises coming her way. Oliver and Felicity have a long overdue talk about where they stand.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Hey guys! Thanks again to everyone who reviewed the last chapter. I'm actually getting over a stomach bug, so I'm dragging, but I'll try to respond to all of your comments at some point today. I really appreciate all your feedback and I can't tell you how much it means to me. 
> 
> This chapter got very intense and very wordy and I really hope it comes across okay. It was a long time coming...lol. I would love to hear what you think!
> 
> Also? I think this fic may actually be winding down. It feels like things are getting ready to come to an end. This fic was supposed to be about Felicity's journey from 'IT girl' to 'Slayer' and we've just about covered that. I don't know that I'm done with this universe, but I might be reaching the end of the first book. I'm giving it thought. 
> 
> Thanks again!
> 
> You can also find me on tumblr as @mshellbrat
> 
> ==========  
> Disclaimer: I own NOTHING!...except my original characters and their imaginary organization...  
> ==========

==========

When Felicity woke up at 8:16 am, she did not have convenient amnesia. She had no hangover. Her memories weren't blurry or impaired in any way, shape, or form. Oh no, Felicity had no excuse for practically throwing herself at her friend and partner of almost two years. She groaned loudly and rolled over to bury her face in her pillow. How could she have done it? What had possessed her to throw all caution to the wind like that? Was this some new part of the slayer package? Extreme horniness? If so, Dare and Cross had some explaining to do, because she had in no way been warned of this possible side-effect!

Reliving the memories behind her squeezed eyelids, Felicity couldn't decide what was more mortifying, that she'd word vomited her attraction and arousal all over Oliver or that he'd valiantly fought her off. This man had had sex with Isabel Rochev; aka Number 13, the Cylon whose greatest pickup line was probably 'I'm an evil bitch, let's do it'. He'd had sex with Batshit Helena and her busload of daddy baggage! Yet, somehow, he'd managed to fight Felicity off with a speech about not taking advantage. What was it with her?

UGH! Okay, she knew she wasn't being fair. She knew Oliver valued her and that the last thing he wanted to do was mess up their relationship. It wasn't Oliver's fault that she'd humiliated herself once again and put him in an impossible situation. She also knew he was kind enough to pretend that the whole thing had never happened. He'd overlook this mishap just like the countless other times her mouth had ran off ahead of her brain. They'd go right back to where they started from...once she figured out how to look him in the eye again.

Flopping over again in her bed, Felicity tried to give herself a pep-talk. It wasn't really that bad, right? They'd been through worse than this! They'd survived Malcolm Merlyn, and the Count, and Slade! This stupid relationship stuff wasn't enough to break them, right? Right!

She slapped her hands down beside her...and frowned as she heard a crinkle and her fingers hit something. She rolled up on her right side and hesitantly picked up the piece of printer paper. Her eyes widened as she read the message scribbled across it.

_“If you wake up this morning and still want to play, I'm all for it.”_

Oh Great Google! It was even signed! Felicity wanted to sink through the floor. Was this a joke? This had to be a joke, right? How, exactly, was she supposed to react to this? 

A noise caught her attention and her head snapped to the door. She focused and she could hear Oliver moving around. She heard the clink of silverware on plates. She smelled fresh coffee and her insides CRIED for it. She smelled...was that pancakes? She stumbled out of bed and toward her bedroom door. She swatted at her tangled hair and yanked it up into a messy bun on the back of her head. She cracked the door and peaked out.

Oliver's back was to her...and okay yes she might have let her eyes slide down to that toned backside, but who could blame her? But, of course, then he had to turn around and catch her ogling his butt, because that was the way Felicity's life worked. She pursed her lips and blinked at him. 

Oliver grinned. “I fixed breakfast.” When she didn't move, he lifted one brow. “You planning to hide all day?”

“I have work,” she told him. 

Oliver winced and rubbed the back of his neck. “Yea, about that.” He walked around to lean back against the island in her kitchen. “I was kind of hoping you'd be willing to call in again today. The board meets at eleven and I'd feel better if you were there with me.”

“Oh,” Felicity's mouth dropped open, “right...the board.” She opened the door and stepped out of her bedroom. Honestly with everything else going on she'd completely forgotten what a big day today was for Oliver. He couldn't afford for her to freak out and avoid him right now. That was the last thing he needed. Felicity would just have to suck it up and put on her big girl panties. She walked toward him and nodded her head. “Of course I'll be there. I'm your girl.” 

She winced as soon as the words left her mouth and would have taken them back, but a genuine smile curled Oliver's lips and he moved to meet her. He lifted one hand to cup her cheek and stroke a few loose hairs behind her ear. His eyes looked her over affectionately. “I'm liking your new hairstyle, by the way,” and he smirked as he took in her 'I'm a Skin Job' sleep shirt and her comfy sleep pants covered in toasters, “and your pajamas.”

Felicity flushed from head to toe. “Shut up. I haven't had coffee yet.” She tried to look down, but Oliver cupped the other side of her face in his other hand and leaned toward her. The blonde slayer's eyes widened at his intention. She clamped her lips closed and shook her head desperately. She stumbled back a step and covered her mouth with her hand.

Oliver frowned at her frustrated. He considered the situation for a moment and then his eyes glinted with determination and he took another step in her direction. 

“NO!” Felicity shook her head again and pointed a finger at him in warning. “Morning breath!” Before the vigilante could react to that announcement, Felicity spun on her heel and ran for the bathroom. She needed a toothbrush...and a shower...and her hairdryer...and makeup...and...and...

She ran back out of the bathroom, dove to avoid Oliver's hand reaching for her arm, grabbed the fresh cup of coffee sitting on the island, and scurried back the way she came. She slammed the door shut, leaned back against it, and sucked down a deep swallow of hot delicious liquid caffeine. Okay, some of these new reflexes and abilities she could get use to.

========== 

He'd made her mint chocolate chip pancakes. The man was trying to melt her into a puddle of goo! Oliver KNEW she had a mint chip problem. Her obsession with the flavor ranked right up there with red wine, Doctor Who, and...yea watching Oliver on the salmon ladder. Felicity also knew for a fact that she hadn't had mint chips in her cabinet or fridge to make said pancakes with. Which meant the man had left her house early this morning to get supplies to make her this mouth-wateringly nummy breakfast. And yes, he'd also had to reheat because she'd freaked out and ran to the bathroom before he could feed her, but who cared? MINT CHOCOLATE CHIP PANCAKES!

Now he was smirking at her as she tried to eat them like a civilized human being and not to impersonate Meg Ryan in 'When Harry Met Sally'. She narrowed her eyes on him in warning and continued to chew. 

“So,” Oliver drawled. He leaned back to cross his arms over his chest in the chair facing her across her kitchen table, “since we have time to talk, I thought we could clear some things up.”

Felicity's brows shot up. Her mouth was completely stuffed full of pancakes. She was pretty sure she looked like a chipmunk.

“Apparently in the past, I haven't been very clear.” Oliver said. “I want to change that. I don't want there to be any more misunderstandings between us where my feelings are concerned.” Oliver frowned and leaned forward to rest against the table. “Felicity, don't you know I wouldn't be the man I am today without you?” His blue eyes burned with intensity. “You saved me. You picked up my broken pieces and you put them back together. If I ever have any hope of being the hero you see me as that's all down to you. You created the Arrow, Felicity. You are my light and even though I know I don't deserve you, I love you, and I'm too selfish to give you up.”

Felicity coughed and tried not to choke. The man was going to accidentally kill her. She tried to chew faster.

Oliver frowned and looked down. His eyes grew distant as he looked inside himself. “When you came into my life, I was a mean, miserable, damaged, killer. Everything was a plot and a plan. People weren't people...they were threats and objectives. Nothing mattered except the mission.” He sighed and shrugged. “I still loved my family, but I could barely function around them. I couldn't let them in. I didn't want to. I never wanted them to see me for what I had become. I knew they would be disgusted by me. I was a monster and the Oliver they loved died on that island.”

Felicity forced a swallow and winced at the pain in her throat. She gulped a mouthful of juice to ease the sting. Then she glared at Oliver. “That is not true! Your family loves you, Oliver.”

“My best friend could barely look at me, Felicity,” Oliver said. She opened her mouth to object again and he cut her off. “No, you need to listen to me. Eat your pancakes.” He pointed to her plate.

“Don't think I don't know you planned this,” she motioned to the food with her fork before stabbing another bite, “so you could keep my mouth occupied.” Oliver grinned and she groaned at the unintended innuendo and gave up. She popped the bite in her mouth and chewed.

Oliver grew serious again. “I'm not saying I wasn't influenced by other people. Digg did his best to rein me in, but he could only do so much. Before you joined the team all he could do was minimize the damage. He never got in my face and demanded that I do better and I wouldn't have listened to him if he had.”

Felicity rolled her eyes. “That's not the Diggle way. He's more subtle than I am.”

“He's not you, Felicity,” Oliver corrected. “He can't get through to me like you can. No one can.”

Sitting down her fork, Felicity canted her head to the side and smiled at him softly. “We're partners, Oliver. That's my job.”

Oliver leaned forward and took her hands in his. Felicity bit her lip as her skin tingled at the contact and her stomach did flips. She forced herself to hold his stare. “It's not enough anymore, Felicity. I want more. I want to be your partner in every way.” He rubbed his thumbs over the back of her hands. “I love you and I don't want to hide that anymore.”

Felicity shuddered. He kept saying those words. Her eyes burned. “But you said...”

Oliver's laugh was bitter. “If I could take back those damn words after Russia...if I could take back so many stupid things I did over the last year, then I would.” He took in a deep breath and blew it out. “I wasn't ready for you, Felicity. You scared the hell out of me. I never saw you coming and I panicked. I ended up hurting you by trying to protect you from myself.”

“You did hurt me,” Felicity agreed. She looked down and tried to regain her composure. “I had to watch you with Sara, Oliver...and she's so perfect for you.”

Oliver rolled his eyes and groaned. He squeezed her hands for emphasis. “Why? Why is Sara perfect for me? Because we both have more demons than we can handle? Because we both excel at hurting the people we love and running away from real commitment?”

“Because she's strong,” Felicity said. She pulled her hands away and sat back. She hugged her arms around herself as she remembered how well Sara had slotted in with both Oliver and Digg. “She's badass and...”

“And I don't care about that,” Oliver cut in. He ran his hands through his short hair in frustration. “Yes, I'm glad Sara can defend herself, but that doesn't make her any better for me than you are.” He frowned. “Not even taking into account that you can toss me around now any time you want.” Felicity narrowed her eyes at that statement and Oliver noticed immediately. He cocked one brow and leaned back toward her. “And no, that's not why we're finally having this conversation.”

“Sure is convenient,” Felicity muttered.

“This has been coming for months, Felicity,” Oliver told her earnestly. He stood and walked around the table to kneel beside her. His voice was gentle but firm. “It wasn't a lie. You know that. You _have_ to know that.”

Felicity stared at the table. Her breath caught in her throat and she straightened her mouth into a hard line. “What wasn't a lie?”

“You know what,” Oliver forced, “and I'm more sorry than I can say that the first time you heard those words from me was under the wrong circumstances, but that doesn't make them any less true. I love you. I'm in love with you. You are it for me.”

Now she couldn't keep her eyes off of him. Her whole body was shaking and tingling. Oliver was so close and he seemed so sincere. She stared into those deep blue eyes and saw nothing but truth...truth and...and something she'd spent most of the last year pretending that she didn't see. She'd denied and she'd lied to herself and she'd painted on a smile and called him her friend. She couldn't make him love her, right? No matter how much it hurt, or how wrong it felt, she couldn't make him see her that way.

But this? Oliver wouldn't play with her like this. This...this had to be real. This was actually happening. She swallowed her shock and the flair of wild hope blooming in her chest and carefully met his gaze. “You could have just asked me on a date.”

A smile curled his lips. “I'll get to that. There will be lots of dates.”

Felicity's eyes widened and she felt a surge of giddy disbelief. She lifted her brows and pursed her lips. “You hope.”

Oliver huffed a laugh and nodded. “Yes, I hope.” He paused and reached out a hand to stroke her cheek. “But I'm not going to pretend about where I hope this is going...where I want this to be going.” He leaned closer and rested his forehead against hers. “I want you at my side, Felicity, and I want to be at yours. Through the good and the bad, at work and at home, dealing with your crazy family and my crazy sister, fighting to protect this city from the mundane and supernatural threats.” He rubbed his nose against hers. “I know we still have a lot of steps to get there, and I don't know what we'll face next, but I want to face it together,” he stared into her eyes. “That is, if I'm not already too late.”

Felicity snorted at the thought. She blinked and felt two tears escape to roll down her cheeks. “Trust me, if getting over you was an option I'd have done it a long time ago. Most of the time, you're a giant pain in the ass. And no,” she shot him a watery grin and scrunched up her nose, “the hotness does _not_ make up for that.”

Oliver chuckled and shook his head, then he tilted slightly and finally, finally, brought his lips to rest against hers. Felicity sighed and returned the kiss. She turned her body on the chair to face him, never breaking their lips, and leaned forward. She wrapped her arms around his neck and relaxed against him. Oliver stood, lifting her as he went. He broke the kiss briefly, reaching out a hand to push her plate further back, and sat her on the edge of the table. He stepped between her spread legs and leaned forward against her, cupping her face and kissing her again, this time deeper and more firmly. 

Felicity gasped at the wave of heat feeling Oliver pressed between her legs evoked. Oliver took advantage, sucking her lower lip into his mouth and teasing it with his teeth and tongue. Felicity groaned and reached up to pull him more firmly against her. She angled her head and met his open mouth with her own, slipping her tongue in to tangle with his.

Oliver took a sharp breath in, then reached down to wrap her legs around his waist. He angled his hips against her and Felicity saw stars. She wasn't even sure what to call the noise that escaped from her mouth to his.

Oliver chuckled and Felicity pulled loose a hand to hit him in the shoulder. Then she ran her nails over the short hairs at the nape of his neck. Oliver shuddered against her and she pressed her nails into his skin. He leaned her back further and braced one hand against the table as he rolled his hips into hers in earnest, all the while exploring her mouth with that talented tongue.

Felicity lost all sense of time and reality. She was surrounded and consumed by Oliver. She was pretty sure her brain had liquefied and was oozing out her ears. That last thing she wanted was to be prudent and responsible. But when the alarm on her phone started blaring, she just couldn't ignore it. She groaned as she pulled away from Oliver and slapped her hand against his chest when he tried to pull her back. The dazed and hungry expression the vigilante was currently wearing? That didn't help matters any. This was a side of Oliver she'd never gotten to explore and now she had to be a big girl and tell him to behave. Adulting sucked!

“We have thirty minutes until the board meeting.” She waved the phone at him.

Oliver shrugged. “Thirty minutes is a long time.” He tried to lean back in.

Felicity slapped his chest again and threw him a warning glare. “I am not doing the walk of shame into work, Oliver. This,” she motioned to both of their disheveled appearance, “is not an impression we want to make. You are getting this company back as Oliver Queen, respectable businessman, not Ollie Queen, playboy extraordinaire.”

Oliver took in a deep breath and blew it out. He ran his hands through his hair in frustration. “I know. You're right. I wouldn't do that to you anyway.” He frowned as she eyed him confused. “You're my partner, They're going to treat you with the respect you deserve.”

Felicity smiled at him widely. “That's really sweet, even if I'm pretty sure it's out of your control.” She hopped off the table and stepped forward to press a quick kiss to his lips. “Now, do your best to get looking presentable. I call the bathroom.” She hurried past him and hoped against hope she could restyle her hair into some semblance of order. Apparently, Oliver Queen was a hair puller.

==========


	29. Chapter Twenty-eight

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Oliver's life finally seems to be getting back on the right track. He has his company and he's finally getting his girl. If only they could figure this supernatural stuff out...

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Thanks so much, as always, for everyone who commented on the last chapter. You really make my day. I will try to respond to your feedback at some point today. I'm glad you guys are still enjoying the story. I do think this story is winding down to a close, but I'm not done with the universe. I might have a slight time jump and then pick up with a new storyline. But that is all still a few chapters off, I think. Thanks again! Hope you like the new chapter!
> 
> You can also find me on tumblr as @mshellbrat
> 
> Here goes...
> 
> ==========   
> Disclaimer: I own NOTHING!...except my original characters and their imaginary organization...  
> ==========

========== 

For the first time in too long, Oliver finally felt like he could breathe again, like he had his feet back underneath him. The family company, the Queen legacy, was finally back in their hands. Felicity was, once again, working by his side. He knew she deserved better than being his EA and it wasn't a permanent solution for her, but it was a step in the right direction. After months of research and meetings, they'd finally unraveled the majority of the mess his ignorance had allowed Isabel to create.

The new threat of the supernatural coming to Starling definitely added another dimension to their nightlife, but Oliver felt with the assistance and training of the Pures and their supernatural allies the team would find a way to adapt and survive. There were logistics to work out, but they had the support they needed to move forward.

And then there was his personal relationship with Felicity. Oliver couldn't help the smile that curved his lips when he thought about the blonde. She was so stubborn, so determined not to read too much into his actions. Well, he hoped he'd made himself clear enough that morning. If not, he'd just have to show her again. 

Oliver climbed out of his car and started walking toward the side door entrance to the lair. He noticed a flash of red out of the corner of his eye and turned to see Roy headed in the same direction.

“Hey,” Roy nodded in greeting, “last night was a head-trip, huh?”

Oliver paused at the door. He eyed the younger man. Roy had seemed shaken even long after the fight was over the night before. The red archer had contributed very little to the after-fight discussion and plans for continued training. Oliver didn't want him to feel like he was obligated to face this new threat. “Not everyone is cut out to deal with the supernatural, Roy. We'll understand if you decide to stick to the mundane side of the fight.”

Roy winced and ran his hand through his hair. “I...yea, I don't know, man. It's a lot to take in.” He cocked his head to the side and met Oliver's gaze. “Hearing and seeing are two different things.”

Oliver nodded. “Like I said. You've got time to work out your comfort zone, but there's no blame for stepping back from this.” He turned and pulled the door open and stepped through. Roy followed behind him.

As they came down the steps, Oliver immediately noticed Felicity waving her hands in agitation and facing off against Laurel. He wondered what was going on now. The two women had gotten along much better lately, which was both a blessing and curse, but two such strong personalities were going to clash occasionally. 

Felicity noticed his presence and spun to face him with pursed lips. Her blonde ponytail swung behind her and Oliver fought to keep the smile off his face. He knew she wouldn't appreciate just how adorable he thought she was when she was angry. She also wouldn't like that he was currently remembering how the fabric of that blue dress felt beneath his hands as he had her leaned across her kitchen table. Her narrowed eyes and scrunched nose said he didn't do a good enough job hiding his thoughts.

Oliver cleared his throat and tried to look repentant and not smug. “Problem, ladies?”

“Laurel called Sara about coming back,” Felicity told him.

Oliver stopped and looked to the brunette for explanation.

Laurel crossed her arms over her chest defensively. She lifted her chin and glared at him. “We need the help. It's obvious that several members of the team are going to be more focused on the supernatural from this point forward,” she paused and turned to Felicity her expression neutral, “and that's understandable, but there are still human threats. We need bodies for the human threats, Felicity. At the least yourself and Oliver will be unavailable for many of the missions moving forward. Last night was a perfect example of that.”

Oliver shook his head. “Sara has obligations to the League, Laurel.”

“The supernatural threat changes that,” Laurel shot back with a triumphant smile. “Apparently the League has laws concerning threats to humanity as a whole.”

Felicity snorted and rolled her eyes. “So they're pro world survival then, huh? Let's give them a gold star.”

Oliver frowned. “The League fights the supernatural?”

“I had no idea either,” Laurel admitted. “Apparently they have both specialized human and supernatural members dedicated to that work and those threats. Sara had only heard rumors, but Nyssa overheard us talking. The point,” she looked hard at Felicity, “is that the League may be willing to assign Sara to Starling and she can help lead Team Arrow. She worked well with the team in the past, right?”

Felicity just glared at her. Oliver knew she hated the idea of Laurel making decisions that affected the team, especially without running it by Felicity, himself, and Digg first. Laurel was overstepping boundaries again without even realizing it. Unfortunately, Oliver knew Laurel might also have a point. They were going to need help with the human threat, because his priorities had definitely shifted to Felicity and her new destiny. As usual, Laurel's intentions were good, her methods needed work.

“We're gonna have both Lances down here?” Roy drawled. He turned to look up at Oliver. “Can I officially sign up for Team Supernatural now or is there a waiting period?”

Oliver cut his eyes at the younger man. “Go change.” Roy nodded and jogged off toward the bathroom. Oliver walked forward to face Laurel. He met the lawyer's eyes. “You want to be a real member of this team, Laurel? You want our respect and consideration?”

“YES,” Laurel said.

“Then stop pushing and disrespecting the team members who were here long before you joined the fight,” Oliver told her. He glared at her hard. “You had no right to make that decision without consulting us first. This is OUR team. You don't tell us what we're going to do. Do you understand that?”

Laurel's shoulders dropped and she frowned. “I wasn't trying to disrespect anyone.”

“But you did,” Oliver said.

“I just...” she sighed, “I called Sara to talk. I didn't plan this.” She looked back to Felicity for help, but she wasn't getting any. “Once Sara heard about the supernatural stuff, it just...it escalated from there.” She looked once again from Felicity's unimpressed expression to Oliver's. Then she nodded. “I'm sorry. I overstepped. It won't happen again.”

Felicity looked doubtful, but she nodded and moved to retake her chair and return to her work. Oliver lifted a brow at his ex. “Go change. Digg should be here soon to work you out.” Laurel nodded and walked off.

Oliver stepped up behind Felicity and rested his hands on her shoulders. He leaned in and rubbed his chin against her temple. “You okay?”

“I just have to keep telling myself that I like Laurel now,” she muttered under her breath as she typed, “and that I don't want to shove my foot so far up her ass she can taste leather.”

Oliver chuckled and turned to brush his lips against her temple. “I admire your restraint.”

“You should,” Felicity nodded, “because she's invited yet another of your ex-girlfriends back into town.” She winced and bit her lip. “Not that I don't love Sara, because I do, but...”

“I get it,” Oliver said. “But you also know you have nothing to worry about, right?” Sara was probably always going to be a button for Felicity where he was concerned. He'd been stupid enough to fall back into that bad habit and he'd hurt her deeply in the process. By allowing himself to take comfort in Sara, he'd made her an exception to his rule of 'no relationships'. It had given Felicity the mistaken impression that his feelings for Sara forced him to bend that rule. What she'd seen as him giving in to his feelings, had in actuality been his taking the easy way and trying to avoid risking his heart on a real relationship. It was a failure on his part he would always regret. 

She took in a deep breath and blew it out. “I know that. I do know that.”

“Because I'm only interested in one woman,” he told her, “and she owns my stubborn difficult ass.”

Felicity huffed a laugh and leaned back against him. “Just keep that in mind when I go 'hulk rage' on your former epic love.”

He nodded. “We'll blame Roy.”

“Roy wants to help,” the younger man called as he walked back up to join them wearing his workout gear. He cocked one brow. “She sent that damn vid to Thea. Laurel's on my list.”

Oliver kissed Felicity's temple again, ignoring Roy's shocked expression and the blonde's adorable blush, and walked around to join the red archer. “Let's go. I want to get some reps in before Case shows up.”

Roy shook himself and looked to his mentor. “The Rock's coming to the lair?”

Oliver rolled his eyes. “He wants to evaluate us on our own turf. It was him or Dare.”

“Why am I not surprised you didn't pick Dare?” Roy drawled.

Oliver ignored him and headed for the mats. “Let's go.”

========== 

The last arrow sliced through the air and pinned the target. Oliver lowered his bow and turned his head to look at Case. 

The larger man lifted a brow. “Well, you're hell on a tennis ball.” He shrugged. “About what I expected, honestly. Your aim isn't going to be your issue.”

“Their speed,” Oliver said.

Case nodded. “You need range. That's your weakness. Your goal is to keep the element of surprise and keep the fight at range.” He turned to point at Roy who was leaning against the wall watching nearby. “YOU still need to work on your aim.”

The younger man rolled his eyes. “I'm aware.”

“And we all keep working on close-combat because we prepare for the worst,” Case said. “Most Possessed aren't winning any technical fighting competitions. They fight instinctively and through brute strength. They do make mistakes and they can be out-smarted.”

“You use a gun?” Roy asked.

“Or a battleaxe,” Case said.

That caught Oliver's attention. “You fight close-combat effectively?” He preferred fighting at range, but he didn't like not having other options.

“Under the right circumstances,” Case said. He walked to a nearby rack and picked up one of the training swords. “Demons, in particular, are resistant to bullets and arrows. They tend to have thick skin and different anatomy. But almost anything dies if you cut off its head.”

“Oh goody,” Roy said, “more training.”

Case smirked at him. “Not necessarily. You can also use trick arrows. Most demons are weak to fire.”

“Or you can focus on the mundane threats,” Oliver reminded him.

Roy glared at him. “I'm not gonna pretend I'm not still freaking the hell out, Oliver. This shit is out of my nightmares. It's not supposed to actually exist,” he winced, “but since it does exist? I want to be prepared.”

Oliver nodded. He understood the sentiment. He looked back to Case. “We done?”

“For now,” Case agreed. Then he looked over toward Felicity's station where the blonde was bickering again with Laurel and showing her how to do something. He snorted. “You given any thought to your comm situation? I know Felicity's going to try, but she'll eventually have to accept that she can't do everything.”

“I...uh...” Roy rubbed the back of his neck. “I might have a suggestion.”

Oliver looked at him with narrowed eyes. “What?”

“I might have mentioned it to Thea.”

Oliver saw red. He curled his hands into fists and took a menacing step toward the younger man. “You what?”

“Hey!” Roy threw up his hands and backed up against the wall. “I just said I would talk to you about it, okay? It was better than HER suggestion!”

“What suggestion, Roy?” Oliver growled.

He met Oliver's glare with his own. “That she catch up on her rusty archery lessons, Oliver. She wants to start training and you know how Thea is! There's no stopping her once she sets her mind to something. She wants to help.” He notched his chin. “I'd rather she do that from behind Blondie's station, wouldn't you?”

“I'd rather she stay safe and away from this life!” Oliver growled.

Roy shrugged. “Me too. Not really our choice to make, man.”

“If you throw that stupid quote at me,” Oliver warned and ground his teeth. There were no four words Oliver hated more than 'my life, my choice'. All he needed was Felicity and Thea both throwing them at him. Why were the most important women in his life so damn head-strong and independent?

Roy laughed and shook his head. “Just give it some thought, dude. If we can keep her in the lair running comms, she'll be just about as safe as we can keep her.” He shrugged and admitted. “And Thea's hella good with computers. She's gotta be better than Pushy Lance over there.”

Case cleared his throat. “Speaking of? You might want to check on your girl, Queen.” He nodded in that direction. “Little Slayer looks like she's about one comment short of skinning Lance alive.”

Oliver winced. “Do I have to?” He could practically see Felicity counting to ten inside her head. Laurel was chattering away and the IT genius was holding her hands carefully away from her precious babies...and was her eye twitching? Oliver sighed. He loved Felicity, he was madly in love with that woman, and he would always love Laurel, but the last thing he wanted to do was mediate between the two. And frankly? Laurel kinda deserved to get her ass kicked at this point. It might be good for her.

Case laughed. “That's why you shouldn't keep your exes around, Queen. That 'let's stay friends' bullshit? That's for women. Men need to drop them bitches and roll.”

Roy snickered. “Wait until the other Lance shows up. Shit's gonna get real.”

“You're bringing in another one?” Case asked in disbelief.

“Roy?” Oliver glared at the younger man. “Go slap some water.” He took in a deep fortifying breath and walked over to save his girl. In fact, he might suggest Laurel go train with Case. It would serve the other man right.

==========


	30. Chapter Twenty-nine

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Felicity tries out a new kind of patrol...the club scene. Thea finally makes an appearance and Oliver attracts the wrong kind of attention.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Hey guys! Thanks, as always, to everyone who commented on the last chapter. I'm glad you are still enjoying the story. Sorry to be running a little behind but I spent literally almost my entire off week helping my sister paint her house. I'll try to get the next chapter up sooner this time. I will also try to respond to all your comments soon. Hopefully today, but might be tomorrow. Thanks again!
> 
> This chapter is delving back into the supernatural side of things. Felicity is running her first patrol in Verdant. She's being given more responsibility and, as always, things get a little out of control. I hope you enjoy it. I honestly had a blast writing it.
> 
> You can also find me on tumblr as @mshellbrat 
> 
> Here goes!
> 
> ==========   
> Disclaimer: I own NOTHING!...except my original characters and their imaginary organization... :-)  
> ==========

========== 

“Now this,” Meredith leaned against the rail and looked down over the packed booming nightclub, “this is more my idea of a patrol.” She was wearing a pair of dark stonewash skinny jeans, a slinky purple top, and a cropped black leather jacket. Felicity had no idea where she'd acquired the clothing and she was almost afraid to ask.

The blonde slayer was also rocking a modified version of clubwear. Throwing back to her good-ole goth days, Felicity's hair was pulled back into a sleek tight ponytail, she had on a tight black top with strategic cutouts and black leather pants. The gobsmacked look on Oliver's face when she'd emerged in the getup had made any minor personal discomfort from revisiting her not-so-squeaky past completely worthwhile. Keeping the vigilante on his toes was one of her personal goals.

Felicity rolled her eyes at her cousin's statement and cocky smile. She leaned beside the brunette. “Just don't forget you aren't allowed to drink. This may be Verdant and not The Bronze, but I'm not fighting the legions of undead with my soused cousin for backup.”

Meredith snorted. “I do some of my best work drunk off my ass.” Before Felicity could reply to that reassuring statement, the half-vamp switched topics again. “So, finish explaining this whole Canary thing to me. Who is this chick again?”

“Laurel's sister,” Felicity sighed. Just the thought of Sara swooping back in to take over their team made the blonde's stomach twist up in knots. She liked Sara, she respected Sara, she thought the world of Sara...but really? She and Oliver were just now finding their feet in the romance department. Did they really need BOTH Lance sisters taking in the show? And that wasn't even taking into account the very real anxiety Felicity was fighting at the idea of stepping back from full-time status on the team. Necessary or not, giving up part control of Team Arrow felt like carving out a chunk of her heart. 

“The one who screwed around with Ollie-boy?” Meredith asked.

A grimace twisted Felicity's lips. “Not how I'd describe her, but yes.”

Meredith snorted. “And Laurel called her willingly?”

“They're sisters,” Felicity told her, “they got past it.”

“Was there blood involved?” Meredith asked. “Because if my sister screwed the love of my life, there would be blood involved...and possibly fire,” she admitted.

Felicity rolled her eyes and elbowed her cousin in the side. “No more fire for you.” She narrowed her eyes and tried to scan over the crowd beneath her looking for anyone suspicious. As the mass of bodies writhed to the music, she reached out with her senses for anything unnatural.

“And this admirable example of sisterly loyalty is also another vigilante? The blonde chick in black leather with the stick?”

“The Canary,” Felicity agreed. “She's a badass and a ninja assassin...super fun to compare yourself to, let me tell you.” She felt an itch at the back of her neck. She knew there were supernatural creatures stalking that dance floor. She needed to hone in on them. She had to be able to pick them out before they found their victim for the night.

“You do get that you're a slayer, right?” Meredith drawled. “You could whack-a-mole that bitch with her own stick.”

Looking to the brunette, Felicity frowned. “Sara's not a bitch. None of this is her fault, Mere. She's a good friend and a good person.”

“Sure she is,” Meredith looked skeptical.

Felicity swung her ponytail to the side and canted her head. “I wasn't involved with Oliver when he and Sara got back together, Mere. I had no claim on him. Sara didn't do anything to me. She's never been anything but nice to me.”

The tiny brunette shrugged. “She better continue that trend,” she notched her chin toward the bar area below them where Oliver was leaning, “and she better keep her paws off Ollie this time. This is not a girl-fight she wants to have.”

“I really don't think Sara has any intention of getting back involved with Oliver,” Felicity told her honestly. “She broke up with him, remember? And besides,” she smirked, “Sara's also got a badass assassin girlfriend.”

Meredith made a face. “I will never understand why chicks would want to date other chicks. Women are annoying.”

“So say we all,” a new voice sounded behind Felicity and both she and Meredith turned to face the newcomer. Thea Queen, dressed in what was undoubtedly a designer label deep red gown that ended mid-thigh, grinned at the brunette stranger. “And boys are so much more fun to play with, right?”

Meredith thought about it for a second, then shook her head. “Actually, no, boys suck too.” She looked to Felicity. “I might as well start collecting cats.”

Felicity chuckled at her cousin's antics, then motioned from Thea to Meredith. “Thea, this is my cousin Meredith Breeland. Meredith, this is Thea Queen, Oliver's sister. Verdant is Thea's club.”

Meredith nodded. “Nice to meet you.”

“Nice to meet you too,” Thea smiled, then she focused with laser-sharp intensity on Felicity. “Did Roy talk to you, by the way? Are you going to train me?”

Felicity bit her lip. Oliver was very very opposed to Thea becoming involved in Team Arrow business. His answer to that suggestion had included numerous vulgarities and threats to Roy's anatomy. Felicity had no such qualms, but she knew Oliver needed time to accept the possibility. Oliver was stressed enough at the moment. Pushing him wouldn't be wise. “Thea...”

“You owe me, Felicity,” Thea blinked those big Queen eyes at her, “I know you've been frequenting The Bronze.”

Felicity gasped outraged. “I haven't bought a single drink!”

“Your very presence supports my competition,” Thea said. 

Meredith snorted. “You're getting played.” She turned back to look over the railing.

Felicity narrowed her eyes on Oliver's sneaky little sister. “Roy told you what to say, didn't he?”

Thea smirked and shrugged. “I'm old hat at this game. I don't need my boyfriend's help.”

“You Queens are evil,” Felicity muttered. She pointed her finger at the younger woman. “You need to be a little patient and give me time to work on your brother,” she winced, “and no I didn't mean work on him in _that_ way...although I guess I could now actually...” she trailed off in thought. The idea of working on Oliver definitely had merit. If that morning was anything to go by...

Thea made a face. “I think I just threw up a little in my mouth. Please don't share.” Then she realized something and gasped. “Wait a minute! You and Ollie are together? Like together together?” At Felicity's 'oops' expression, the brunette squealed and bounced up and down excitedly. “This is so awesome! It's about time!” She dove forward and hugged Felicity tightly. “I can't believe my dumbass brother finally got his shit together! Oh,” she pulled back and snorted, “and I have to tell Roy, he lost the bet. He owes Digg twenty bucks.”

Felicity pursed her lips. “I'm going to pretend I didn't just hear you allude to my team betting on my romantic status.”

Thea grinned. “More like betting on my brother's romantic ineptitude. Sara and I called months ago, only Digg and Roy were still in the running. Digg chose this month,” she giggled, “and Roy chose the fifth of never. He said Oliver has no game.”

“He's kind of a dork,” Meredith agreed.

“Hey!” Felicity glared at her cousin. “You barely know Oliver, Mere. You can't judge him off of the tabloids. We've had this discussion.”

She lifted one brow. “Can I judge him for dating Laurel Lance for years?”

“Yes,” Thea nodded, “yes, you can.”

Felicity looked over both women disgruntled. She should not be the only one defending Oliver here. Thea was supposed to be Team Oliver. Where was the loyalty?

“Can I judge him for being oblivious to the fact that that skank sliding up next to him is a Possessed looking for her next meal?” Meredith drawled.

“WHAT?!?” Felicity screeched.

The blonde spun back to look over the railing. Thea pushed in beside her. The three women looked the redhead in the garishly bright red dress over from head to toe. 

Thea made a disgusted sound. “That color red totally clashes with her hair.”

“Keep in mind that she might have been buried in it,” Meredith said.

Felicity and Thea winced. Felicity watched the vampire lean toward Oliver and try to catch his attention. She narrowed her eyes as the bloodsucker licked her lips and pushed out her breasts. “I knew he'd be the equivalent of vampire catnip. THIS is why he's the bait.”

“Does he know he's the bait?” Thea asked.

Meredith snorted. “That would be a no. Lissy didn't want to hurt his feelings.”

“Lissy didn't want to piss him off,” Felicity corrected. As she watched the vampire made another attempt to draw Oliver's attention. She leaned close enough to actually brush against the vigilante. And Oliver? He just kept staring out over the crowd intently...looking for possible vampires. Great Google save them all.

“God,” Thea muttered, “could that chick be more obvious? Is she gonna hump his leg next?”

“Would he notice?” Meredith asked.

“Shut up, Mere,” Felicity hissed, “he's use to women throwing themselves at him. They just usually have a pulse.”

“Well that one might attack him in public out of sheer frustration,” Meredith said.

Reaching up, Felicity tapped the special issue comm link in her ear. Cross said the tech was charmed to block detection. They were fixing to put it to the test. She needed to warn Oliver without giving away their plan to the vamp. “Oliver? Don't react and don't speak.”

The vigilante stilled on instinct, but the vamp showed no reaction. Oliver's eyes darted toward her position hidden in the balcony of the second floor. 

Felicity breathed a sigh of relief. So far, so good. “The redhead to your right is a vamp. We think she's targeted you.” Felicity could see Oliver's jaw clench in irritation. Felicity rolled her eyes. “Look, you know this game. Play along, let her lure you outside, and we'll take her out.” Reaching up, Felicity hit the comm again and turned it off. She knew Cross and Dare were waiting outside in the van and would have overheard the conversation. They wanted Felicity to take the lead as much as possible on this one. They would only interfere if they were needed.

Meredith reached over and rested her hand on Felicity's. She squeezed her fingers in reassurance. “We've got this.”

Thea looked back and forth between the two women. “What can I do?”

Felicity's eyebrows shot up. “You can stay out of it. This is NOT your fight.”

Thea frowned and crossed her arms over her chest. “Look, he may be a dork, but Oliver's my big dumb brother. I'm not gonna let him get eaten. I want to help.”

Felicity groaned. “Thea, you can't...”

“We're on the move,” Meredith said. She nodded toward the lower floor.

Felicity turned back, but then she frowned. “Where are they going? He's supposed to let her lead him outside.” Instead of heading along the wall or to the nearest exits, the redhead pulled Oliver along behind her toward the middle of the room. 

Meredith snorted. “Looks like she's leading him to the dance floor.”

“That poor poor vamp,” Thea muttered. “There's a reason Ollie doesn't dance.”

“I have a feeling we should be taping this,” Meredith said.

“The club has surveillance,” both Felicity and Thea spoke at once. The blonde cut her eyes to her cousin. “I set it up.”

Meredith grinned evilly. “Good deal.”

Rolling her eyes, Felicity looked back toward her...boyfriend? Was Oliver officially her boyfriend now? Anyway, the former-playboy was standing awkwardly as the vamp wrapped her arms around his neck. The song wasn't really slow enough for a slow dance, but the redhead was doing her best to dirty dance against him anyway. Oliver moved back and forth and Felicity could see he had his best playboy smile painted across his face, but his shoulders were held tense and he looked anything but comfortable.

“What are they doing?” Thea choked back a laugh.

Meredith snickered. “Good god, I think she's honestly just hitting on him. This is painful.”

Felicity huffed and ground her teeth. She reached up to hit her comm again. “Oliver, try not to look like you'd rather be pulling out your own teeth...and after this song YOU suggest getting some fresh air.”

“At night in the Glades?” Thea asked in disbelief.

“I don't think she's particularly worried about stranger danger, Thea,” Felicity drawled. As the song drew to a close, she watched as Oliver leaned down to whisper in the redhead's ear. The vamp giggled and turned to lead Oliver off the floor. Noting which exit they were headed toward, Felicity nodded at Meredith. “Let's go.” She looked back one more time at Thea. “If we're not back in fifteen minutes, call Digg.”

The brunette nodded and pulled out her phone.

Felicity took in a deep breath and blew it out as she maneuvered through the crowd and down the stairs with Meredith following behind her. 

“You realize this probably won't take five minutes, much less fifteen,” Meredith said.

“Yep,” Felicity said, “but it gave her something to do and kept her out of the danger zone.”

“For now,” Meredith agreed, “but you can't protect her from it forever.”

Felicity paused and threw Meredith a puzzled frown. “What do you mean?”

The tiny brunette cocked her head to the side and looked up at her cousin. “You didn't tell me Little Queen was a witch, Lissy. You really think she can ignore that sitting on top of an active Hellmouth? Even if she doesn't find trouble, trouble's gonna find her. It's only a matter of time.”

And suddenly the itch in the back of her neck from earlier made sense. Felicity realized in dismay that she hadn't seen Thea since she'd been activated as a slayer. She'd been so wrapped up at The Bronze and with her training...

“Uh...Lissy? Remember your boyfriend and Victoria? We might want to get on that before he gets eaten.” 

Right, right...Felicity spun and hurried toward the exit. She had to deal with the vamp right now and save Oliver...as if that wasn't a mind-trip all on its own. She couldn't freak out about Thea and the possibilities and just how epicly Oliver was going to lose it when he found out that not only his new girlfriend, but also his baby sister were being dragged into this new fight that he still wasn't quite prepared to fight. No, Felicity had to save Oliver from the vampy hoe and THEN she could worry about keeping his head from popping off. Holy frelling frack! 

==========


	31. Chapter Thirty

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Felicity's journey from IT girl to slayer was over, but another door stood before her now. The question was...would she have to walk through it alone?

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I want to thank everyone so much for your awesome feedback on the last chapter! You guys have totally made writing this story a joy and I'm so glad you've enjoyed my crazy little verse. I want to send a special thank you to Arienhod, who made me an awesome new banner that I LOVE! I will try to respond to everyone's comments today or tomorrow. Thanks, again!
> 
> Okay guys...SO...this happened! I wasn't sure where I was going to go with the story. I knew I was nearing the end of this first book in the verse, but I wasn't certain how to get there or what really came next. It finally came to me! Of course, it also came to me in a completely different style than the story has been told so far. I hope I don't confuse or alarm anyone...lol. I hope you enjoy the chapter and this first ending. I can assure you that I intend to start working on the next story in the series fairly quickly. I'm not one to keep a bunch of chapters on hold and wait before posting. I'm pretty sure I'll have something new up before the week is done. I'm debating two ideas of where to pick back up. If you would like to help me out with my decision you can comment either 1)In London or 2)Back in Starling.
> 
> Anyway, thank you all so much for your support and for taking the time to read my story. 
> 
> You can also find me on tumblr as @mshellbrat
> 
> Here goes!...
> 
> ==========  
> Disclaimer: I own NOTHING!...except my original characters and their imaginary organization...:-)  
> ==========

  
Banner by: Arienhod

==========

Felicity blinked and stared straight ahead at the runway. She ignored the tears rolling down her cheeks. The physical irritation meant little when compared to the emotional agony throbbing inside that left her feeling like a walking wound. How had she gotten here? 

Two days ago she'd been happy. Oliver loved her...he really loved her. He'd opened his mouth and said the most wonderful things, things she'd been waiting for, been dreaming of hearing from him. She'd been afraid to believe, but she'd taken the chance because it was _Oliver_. How could she not take a chance on Oliver?

Reaching up, Felicity rubbed at the center of her chest. It ached. She knew it wasn't real. She was in peak physical condition...unnaturally perfect physical condition. The possibility of having a heart attack or even heartburn was a thing of the past. Slayers didn't suffer physical ailments. Apparently even their normal aging process was slowed due to their nature. Wasn't that swell? Now the bleak landscape of her empty future stretched out even further than it had in the past. Unless, of course, she died of unnatural causes. Which, let's get real, was a distinct possibility. Even with the increased slayer population, slayers still died with alarming frequency. The forces of darkness still outnumbered the forces of light. So upside? She might still get eaten.

“Lissy?”

She felt her cousin reach out and take her hand, squeezing it in comfort. And it was a comfort. If nothing else, she still had Meredith and her new supernatural family. She didn't know how she'd be holding it together right now without Meredith, Dare, and Cross. As it was, she'd had three panic attacks in the last forty-eight hours. Cutting herself out of the lives of her makeshift family, of the people she would literally lay down and die for, it took a toll. She understood Oliver better now than she'd ever imagined she would. Sometimes you had to make the hard choices. Sometimes you had to walk away for their own good.

The sound of footsteps caught Felicity's attention. She glanced to the side.

Riley Finn smiled sadly and walked over to stand beside herself and Meredith. “They're refueling the plane now. Shouldn't be long.”

Felicity nodded but didn't speak...couldn't speak. Trying to appear normal and happy was beyond her now. It was everything she could do just to keep standing. She had to keep standing, keep walking, or she knew she would fall apart. She'd done enough of that already. It was time to be strong...for Oliver and for Team Arrow. They deserved better and she was damn well going to give it to them.

========== __

_Oliver glared down at her with his arms crossed over his chest. “You made me the bait.”_

_Felicity bit her lip and tried to smile. “Technically, she picked you out all on her own.” She motioned vaguely toward where the dust from the now-redead vamp was settling. “I just took advantage of a fortuitous situation.”_

_Oliver leaned toward her and lowered his voice to a grumble. “You positioned me at the bar, Felicity. You expected this to happen.”_

_Meredith snorted. “We expected you to notice when Vampy Hoe tried to turn you into her juice box. We've all faced disappointments tonight.”_

_“Meredith!” Felicity admonished. She gave her cousin the evil eye, then turned back to her boyfriend. “Oliver, I'm sorry. I don't know what you want me to say.”_

_“I want you to say that you didn't make me the bait,” he shot back._

_Felicity rolled her eyes. He really needed to get over it. It wasn't like Oliver didn't understand that sometimes you had to play roles you didn't like to get the job done. Wasn't that his reasoning for making her his secretary the first time around? Shoe wasn't nearly as fun on the other foot, was it? “Most of them wouldn't come near me, Oliver. I'm a slayer and they can sense that,” she motioned to her cousin, “and apparently Meredith stinks.”_

_“HEY!” Meredith objected. “I said that I smell like my sire because of his claim on me. I did not say that I stink.”_

_“No,” Felicity agreed, “Cross and Dare said you stink.” She ignored Meredith's outraged cursing behind her and focused back on Oliver. “But the point is that you are attractive and you are human, Oliver. You had a much better chance of drawing a vampire's attention than we did.” She watched him grit his teeth, but knew he had no rebuttal to her argument. She smiled up at him sweetly and stepped closer. “Now let's get back inside before your sister calls in the cavalry.”_

_Heaving a sigh, Oliver let his shoulders and arms relax. He pulled her against him and leaned forward to kiss her forehead. “Fine, but next time we're finding someone else to be bait.”_

_Felicity pursed her lips and eyed him. “Why do I have a feeling that someone else will be Roy?”_

_Oliver lifted his brows and wrapped his arm around her shoulders. “Everyone has a talent.”_

_As Felicity let Oliver guide her back toward the door to the club, she couldn't help thinking of Thea and the new revelation still waiting to be dropped on both Queens. Her stomach twisted. They still had a long night ahead of them and sometimes ignorance really was bliss._

========== 

“Cross said to remind you that she and Dare will handle the whole patrolling situation for you for the time being,” Meredith told her.

Felicity closed her eyes. She was failing in her duty. It was her responsibility to protect Starling. If something happened, if something went wrong, it would be her fault for abandoning her post. Possibly even worse? She was abandoning her team. Sure, Sara was due to arrive any day, but that didn't change the comm situation or the fact that they would be working without the intel she could provide them...that she'd always provided them. 

“Stop it,” Riley admonished. “You aren't doing anything wrong.”

Meredith made a noise at that, but didn't speak. She leaned against Felicity and rested her head against her shoulder.

“Dare and Cross are more than capable of protecting the city in your absence and they can always call for help if they need it,” Riley continued.

“And Team Arrow has the Lance sisters,” Meredith drawled, “where can that go wrong?”

========== __

_“NOT MY SISTER!” Oliver raged. He paced back and forth and glared hotly at Felicity. The slayer was sitting at a table on The Bronze main floor, the club having closed over an hour before. “You are not dragging my sister into this situation! Thea is innocent! Do you understand me? Thea is not involved in this!”_

_Felicity took in a deep breath and closed her eyes before trying to reason with the livid vigilante. “Of course, I understand, Oliver. Do you think I want to hurt you? Do you think I want to endanger Thea? I love Thea!”_

_“Then why are you doing this?” Oliver demanded._

_Felicity started at him stunned. “Why am I doing this? Why am I doing what, Oliver? Thea's father is Malcolm Merlyn! We know now that the League trains supernatural members. Obviously, Malcolm was one of them!”_

_Oliver's jaw locked and he was shaking with rage. “Thea has nothing to do with this! Thea is innocent!”_

_“I KNOW THAT!” Felicity pushed to her feet and yelled into Oliver's face. “I'm not blaming Thea. I'm not trying to hurt Thea. I'm warning you because we need to warn Thea. Thea needs to be prepared...so she can be protected!”_

_“YOU ARE NOT DOING THIS TO MY SISTER!” Oliver roared. He loomed over Felicity. “I will NOT allow you to endanger my sister, Felicity!”_

_It was like he wasn't even hearing her. Felicity didn't understand. She'd known he'd be angry. She'd known he wouldn't take it well. But this was beyond her. He wasn't making any sense. Felicity felt the anger drain out of her and frowned up at him confused. “How am I going to endanger Thea, Oliver? I didn't do this. I'm telling you about it, because you needed to know. You can't protect Thea if you don't have all the facts.” She waved around the empty club. “And with everything going on in Starling right now? Thea is going to need protection.”_

_“Thea wouldn't need protection if none of this shit was happening!” Oliver growled. “If Starling was still a mystical dead-zone, if there were no vampires and hellmouths and SLAYERS here, then Thea would be fine! Ever since this slayer shit started it's been one thing after another and we've just dealt with it.” Oliver glared down at her and huffed. “I've tried to stay calm and do my best to keep protecting the people I love, but there is a limit and this is it! YOU CANNOT HAVE MY SISTER!”_

_And finally, Felicity understood. She stared up at Oliver stunned and realized that this was it. He'd had enough. Oliver couldn't handle any more...Oliver couldn't handle her anymore. She felt like the breath had been knocked out of her. Felicity felt...she didn't even know what she felt. Except that it hurt. Everything hurt._

_Dropping her eyes because she couldn't look at him anymore, Felicity spun away and tried to think. She forced herself to breathe slowly in and out and she tried to hold back tears. “Okay,” she finally told him. “I'll uh...I think I need to go home. Goodnight.”_

_She swiped her purse from the table, and hurried behind the bar. She picked up the landline and pushed the number she remembered Ryder using before to reach Cross and Dare. A moment later, the line picked up and Dare's voice filled the line. “Hey,” she said quickly, “would you mind driving me home? I don't feel well.”_

_“Felicity,” she heard behind her._

_She flinched and waved back over her shoulder to keep him at bay. She couldn't deal with him right now. She needed to think. She needed to go home and lick her wounds and figure out how she could give him what he wanted. Because she would find a way to give him what he wanted. She would protect her friends and her team from this fight. She wouldn't endanger them anymore. Oliver was right. It was unacceptable. She'd been weak and she couldn't afford to be weak anymore. “I said goodnight, Oliver. I think I'm about done. I understood you. I'll take care of it.”_

========== 

Felicity watched as the plane was pulled onto the tarmac. It was a private jet and she found it somewhat surreal that she would be traveling on one courtesy of the Slayer's Council. Who would have guessed that an organization built on the foundation of ancient powers, creatures, and rituals, would own something so mundane and modern as a private jet? Then again, the Council was also now primarily run by modern women. Times had changed.

“I'll be right back,” Riley jogged forward to speak with a man dressed in a pilot's uniform. The man motioned toward Felicity and Meredith, but Riley shook his head and spoke to him rapidly. Normally Felicity might have been curious enough about their conversation to attempt to listen in via her slayer senses, but honestly, at the moment she just didn't care. They could be discussing their dastardly plan to fly them into the side of a mountain and as long as they gave Meredith a warning and a parachute, Felicity wasn't putting up a fuss. 

“We need alcohol for this shit,” Meredith grumbled, still leaning against Felicity's shoulder. “It is the way of our people, Felicity. We don't endure emotional devastation sober.”

Felicity blinked. “You aren't allowed to set fire to the plane.”

“I'm never living the fire thing down, am I?” Meredith said.

“Nope.”

========== __

_To say she was surprised to find Riley at her door the next morning was an understatement. Felicity had already called in for the day. She'd considered turning in her resignation, but she didn't want to be too hasty. She still needed to think and plan. She couldn't leave the team or Oliver hanging. Arrangements would have to be made before she totally removed herself from the equation. But still, when the knock had sounded her traitorous heart had jumped at the idea of Oliver making the effort to see her. She knew it was pointless. She knew what she had to do. But the heart wants what the heart wants and all that jazz._

_“Riley?” Felicity frowned._

_“May I come in?” he asked._

_She waved him in and closed the door behind him. Turning to lean back against the door, Felicity sighed. “What can I help you with this morning?”_

_Riley made a face. “I've been...well, I've spoken to the Council.”_

_Even emotionally exhausted and numb to the world, Felicity could read the guilt in his expression. She put two and two together. “You reported on me.” She didn't even feel betrayed, really. What was one more disappointment on top of the pile?_

_Riley ran his hands over is face. “Yes, I'm sorry. They asked me to check you out, evaluate your progress and your emotional stability. Slayers can be...volatile. Some of them can't handle the power and the calling.”_

_Felicity shrugged. “And I failed the test or something?”_

_“What?” Riley frowned and shook his head. “No, no, you're great. I think you're handling the situation as well as anyone could. You have a good support base and very capable trainers. You're doing fine, Felicity. You shouldn't doubt that.”_

_“Uh,” Felicity doubted he would approve of her new goal of dropping that support base, but then, Riley didn't get a vote. She was going to give Oliver and the team what they wanted. Maybe not all of them saw it yet, but the novelty of the supernatural would wear off soon enough. Then it would just be dangerous...and complicated. And every member of their team already had enough complications in their lives without adding her supernatural drama._

_Besides, if Cross was right and being involved in the supernatural world led to changes, supernatural changes, in human warriors, then Felicity would never forgive herself for inflicting that on them. Maybe Thea really WAS her fault, after all. Who knows? It wasn't a chance Felicity was willing to take._

_“Anyway,” Riley seemed to overlook her shifty expression and pressed on, “the Council would like to officially meet you. They want me to escort you back with me to their headquarters in London.”_

_“Oh,” Felicity frowned, “like a...short visit?”_

_Riley winced. “They'd also like to evaluate your training so far and have you train some with their instructors and other slayers.” He stepped forward and looked at her softly. “They want you to really understand what being a slayer is now, Felicity. They want you to meet your sisters. They want to show you your legacy.”_

_Felicity thought about that. She thought she would have liked the idea of meeting other slayers before she'd had her heart ripped out the night before. But maybe that would help. Maybe giving herself some distance and some time would help her move on and...cut the cord. It was a legitimate reason to remove herself from the team. She'd take this leave of absence and then...just phase herself out._

_“How long?” she asked._

_“A month?” Riley shrugged. “Maybe longer.”_

_It would be a start. A month would give the team time to reorganize and heal. They'd find their new normal and once Felicity was convinced they didn't need her anymore, she'd walk away. Felicity nodded to the soldier. “I'm in.”_

========== 

All the luggage was loaded into the plane. The pilot still stood impatiently talking to Riley. Felicity had seen him point to his watch at least four times already. The slayer frowned and stepped forward. “Riley, what's the holdup? The plane is ready, right?”

Riley seemed at a loss for words. Meredith was not. The tiny brunette stepped back up beside Felicity and held her arm. “We're waiting on the last two passengers.”

“There are other passengers?” Felicity asked.

“Yes.”

“But it's a private jet,” Felicity pointed out. She had a sinking feeling in her stomach that she was missing something.

Meredith rolled her eyes. “Trust me, Lissy, I wish we were just waiting on one person, but unfortunately you'd already made your damn choice before I got here and could gently nudge you away from the asswipe.”

Felicity's eyes widened. “Meredith, NO!” She heard the engine of a car approaching and turned to see the town car pull up and stop. John was behind the wheel. Felicity's eyes blurred with tears. She didn't want to see John. She'd deliberately avoided facing him. This only made everything that much harder. She knew John would never accept her decision.

The former soldier and bodyguard climbed out of the car and glared at her as he advanced. “Yea, you better look worried. I don't know what you've been thinking, Smoak, but this shit don't fly. You aren't about to cut me out of your life because Oliver can't think before he opens his damn mouth.” He reached her and pulled her into a tight hug. “We are family, Felicity. You don't walk away from that.”

Tears rolled down Felicity's cheeks as she closed her eyes and held on. John meant the world to her. They'd been bonded through blood and tears and earthquake ridden cities.

More noise and doors opening had her cracking her eyes again. She watched as Roy helped Thea out of one side of the car and Oliver climbed out of the other. She avoided actually looking at Oliver and focused on the female Queen and her boyfriend instead. Roy pulled Thea close for a quick kiss, but then walked to the back of the car and popped the trunk. He started pulling out bags. He dropped a few roughly on the ground with a smirk, but carried the rest toward the plane. He nodded to Felicity as he passed. “Blondie.” She just blinked at him.

Trying to pull herself together and work out the puzzle before her, Felicity stepped back from Digg and turned to face Thea. “I don't understand.”

Thea smirked and rolled her eyes. “Nice try, but you need to deal with him first.” She hooked her thumb in her brother's direction, then moved to the side by Meredith.

Biting her lip and taking a deep breath, Felicity forced herself to look at Oliver. He was dressed casually in a dark henley and jeans. He was gorgeous, as always, but he looked worn down. His eyes were shadowed and she wondered if he'd gotten any sleep the last two nights. Still, she didn't know what to say to him. She cleared her throat. “What are you doing here, Oliver? Why is Thea here? I thought you wanted her away from me.”

He frowned and faced her. “You know that's not what I meant. I blew up, Felicity, and I blamed it on you. I didn't mean it. You know that. You know me better than that.”

She did. After she'd calmed down and looked back over the situation, Felicity had known Oliver would regret his words. But it didn't change the fact that he was right. “I'm dangerous. You were right about that. I can't put the team at risk.”

“You don't get to make that choice for us,” Oliver told her.

“Our life, our choice,” Roy sang out in his best 'girl voice' impression.

“Shut up,” Thea reached out and hit her boyfriend on the back of the head. She dragged him away.

Oliver stepped closer. He reached out and cupped her cheek in his hand. “I know I hurt you and I'm sorry. But if you think I'm letting you hop on a jet and leave me, you're wrong. You're not getting rid of me that easily. You're stuck with me.”

Felicity shuddered. She blinked back more tears and tried to be rational and reasonable. “You...you can't come with me.”

“Yes, I can,” Oliver said.

Felicity huffed. “You just got the company back!”

“I'll be checking in at the London branch while we're there,” Oliver said. “There are also some interesting tech companies that would like to set up meetings with us.”

“Us?” Felicity frowned.

Oliver smiled at her tenderly. “Me and my partner. I told them, they didn't want to bother speaking tech to me.”

Felicity sighed and closed her eyes. “Oliver...you can't do this...”

“You can be mad at me for as long as you like,” Oliver told her, “I deserve it. You've stood by me through hell and back and I turned on you for something that was completely out of your control.”

Felicity shrugged. “It's Thea.” She understood that. She'd understood it that night.

“And you're you,” Oliver said. “You're my girl, Felicity. I love you.” He leaned closer and rested his forehead against hers. “I told you before, I can't lose you. I don't work without you.”

“But what about the team?” she whispered.

“Sara and Nyssa arrive tonight,” he said, “and Case has agreed to help out if they need him.”

Felicity could feel her defenses, her walls, crumbling, but she fought against it. She needed him to see reason. “What about Thea?” Innocent Thea who would need protection.

“Thea,” the woman herself spoke up, “is coming with you.”

Felicity's eyes popped back open and she looked to the younger woman stunned. “What?”

Thea grinned at her. “Apparently your Slayer Council works with some bigwig coven of powerful witches. They're going to help me figure out what I've inherited from dear old Dad. Also?” she bounced excitedly. “England has this whole ancient and revered witch history and culture I can look into.” She leaned closer and lowered her voice to a whisper. “I'm hoping to find Diagon Alley.”

Still stunned, Felicity looked back to Oliver. He sighed. “Thea has always been a witch. That potential was always there inside her. The hellmouth opening under Starling only started Thea's own journey. She might never have realized what was there if this hadn't happened, but it certainly isn't your fault. And,” he smiled, “you, of course, were right. The best way to protect Thea is for her to know what she's dealing with and learn to protect herself.”

Felicity felt her lips tremble. “I never wanted this.” She'd never actually wanted to be a slayer and she'd certainly never wanted anything to happen to Thea.

“I know,” Oliver nodded, “but we're going to work with what we've been given.” He stared into her eyes. “Together.”

“Together?” Felicity whispered.

Oliver cupped her face in his hands and brought his lips against hers. “Where you go, I go, Felicity. From now on, we're in this together.”

And she let the last of her defenses fall and leaned into his lips willingly. “Okay. Let's do this.”

Oliver grinned and kissed her. She wrapped her arms around his neck and kissed him back.

“Dammit,” Roy complained. Pulling a twenty out of his wallet, he stomped over to Digg and held it out to the other man. “Don't know how the hell you called the right month.”

“I got ways,” Digg smiled

Felicity pulled back from Oliver to glare at them both. “I ever catch you betting on my relationship again, and you'll both be broke...permanently.”

Thea snorted. “They're already betting on the wedding date.” 

Both men just smiled at Felicity innocently. She chuckled and shook her head. This would always be her team, her family, and she wouldn't have it any other way.

==========  
THE END  
==========

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> THE END! (for now...next story to be started shortly...lol)


End file.
